Crocodile found in sugarcane field at Deoni Khurd captured after three-hour operation

Deoni: A crocodile found in a sugarcane field at Deoni Khurd was captured on Saturday, October 10, after a three-hour operation. A joint team of police, forest department staff and local snake rescuers, led by Deoni police station assistant inspector Annarao Khodewad, carried it out. Police were told about the crocodile at about 11 am, and it had been caught by 2 pm.

This is the second such incident in the area; a fully grown male crocodile was captured on September 14. Because of the poor rains this year, much of the Manjara riverbed around Deoni has dried up, and reptiles and other wild animals are taking shelter in fields that offer moisture and shade, police said. Sugarcane in particular gives them places to hide, raising the risk of encounters with farmers.

Khodewad urged farmers to be careful while working in their fields and to call the forest department's toll-free helpline or the emergency number if needed. A snake rescuer said the movement of animals including tigers, leopards, hyenas, wolves, crocodiles and pythons had increased in parts of the Dharashiv forest division such as Latur, Deoni, Udgir, Jalkot, Renapur, Tuljapur and Umarga. Latur forest officer Dhananjay Pote said forest officers, staff and authorised snake rescuers would be given special training to capture such animals safely.

Source: ThePrint