Uttarakhand crocodile: On Saturday, a crocodile entered a house in Giddawali village of Luxor block of Haridwar district stirred up. On the information of the local residents, the expert team of the Uttarakhand Forest Department immediately took action and captured the crocodile safely and left it in the Ganges river. The incident highlights the increasing problem of wildlife entering human settlements during the monsoon. The forest department has increased vigilance in this area and has launched a campaign to make the villagers aware. Officials have appealed to the people to immediately inform such incidents on the helpline of the Forest Department. This is the second such incident of this year in Haridwar, which reflects the increasing cases of human-livelihood struggle.
As soon as the information about the crocodile entering Giddawali village, the forest department immediately reacted and sent the rescue team to the spot. This party is trained in dealing with reptiles, especially crocodiles. “Our expert team caught the crocodile safely without any harm and left the Ganges river,” said the forest ranger of Haridwar.
In Haridwar district, crocodiles and other wildlife are entering the human settlements due to rising water levels in rivers and canals during the monsoon. In May this year, a crocodile was rescued from Munda Kheda village in Haridwar. In October last year, two crocodiles were safely held in the Ganges river by grabbing two crocodiles from Shyampur area and Amaau Colony of Khatima on the Haridwar-Kotdwar highway in October and in September.
The forest department has advised the villagers to take many precautions along with increasing vigilance in the villages near the reservoirs. Shailendra Singh Negi said, ‘Villagers have been advised to maintain enough lights around their homes at night. We are making local residents aware that if any wild animals including crocodiles appear in residential areas, they should immediately inform us. People can call the Forest Department helpline 1926 for immediate assistance.
Uttarakhand is the abode of two crocodile species of India – but crocodile and crocodile. These species are mainly found in Corbett landscapes, Terai region, parts of Haridwar Forest Division and Rajaji National Park. 197 crocodiles and 183 crocodiles were recorded in the recent aquatic census in the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
In recent years, incidents of human-livelihood struggle have increased in Haridwar. In 2020, a crocodile killed an eight -year -old girl in Haridwar. At the same time, in 2022, a case of killing crocodiles was registered against the villagers in Khatima. The Forest Department is constantly running an awareness campaign to prevent such incidents and is appealing to the people for cooperation.
