Vadodara residents tie crocodile to tree

Residents of Varnama locality on the city's outskirts caught a crocodile and tied it to a tree late evening after the reptile strayed out of a pond nearby.
Nitin Patel, a rescuer from the wildlife team of the Gujarat forest department's Vadodara division, said the people from the locality were terrified at the sight of the aquatic animal.
He said the people first managed to gag the crocodile with a piece of rope and then loaded it onto a tractor and brought it near a tree and tied it.
They then called the forest department.
Patel said the crocodile came out of a nearby pond in the afternoon and caused a scare as the 600 residents of the locality keep buffaloes, cows and goats to earn their livelihood.

"After we were informed, we reached the spot at around 8:15 pm and brought the crocodile to the forest department office in Karelibag," said Patel.

He added the crocodile, despite the ordeal, bore no injury marks and therefore will be released in the Vishwamitri river.
The river, that passes through Vadodara, is home to around 200 crocodiles and wildlife experts said there have been several occasions when these reptiles have strayed out of the water body.
Such incidents have happened in localities like Karelibag, Tarsali and Ajwa Road, among others, they said.