Man attacked by crocodile in Kendrapara district

A 35-year-old man has been seriously injured after an estuarine crocodile pounced on him at a river ghat in Odisha's Kendrapara district.

The incident took place when the man, identified as Bhagabat Rout, was bathing at the ghat located along the Brahmani river at Rajpur village on Wednesday.

The crocodile was trying to drag the man into deep water, but locals hearing his scream could rescue him, a forest official said.

Rout has been admitted to Rajnagar Community Health Centre with multiple wounds. He is presently out of danger, the official said.

"The State Forest department is bearing the cost of treatment of the injured man following the crocodile attack," Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) forest division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya said.

The department will also provide compensation to the injured persons family as per rules, the DFO said.

At least three such incidents have been reported in Rajnagar area recently.

Forest personnel are of the view that people are exposing themselves to crocodile attacks by entering rivers, creeks and other water bodies of Bhitarkanika and its nearby areas as the areas are infested with estuarine crocodiles.

But locals are mostly found to disregard the precautionary warning, the DFO said.

The Forest department has identified 50 riverside spots as danger zones because of frequent sighting of reptiles in these places.

The forest officials also erected barricades in about 35 ponds and river ghats in the park and its nearby areas to prevent the crocodiles from attacking human beings, the forest officer said.

Service groups have been pressed into service to drive away crocodiles from places of human habitation, he said.

The latest crocodile attack occurred outside the national park limits, he said.