Bengaluru: Snap!! Or should that be crunch! As the rivers overflow across the districts of North Karnataka, with excess water from the rivers after heavy rains in neighboring Maharashtra, there are unexpected visitors. Crocodiles!.
On Friday, a large crocodile was spotted in an open field near Raichur, setting off a huge scare as villagers ran for higher ground. On Saturday, another crocodile was spotted in the river on the Karnataka-Goa border. It was caught by the villagers and released into the deepest part of the river. As Maharashtra releases vast quantities of water from its dams into Karnataka, crocodiles come swimming in. They were seen in Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Raichur and Belagavi districts.
Last year, one man was mauled by a crocodile when he went to wash his cattle in the river. Similarly, sheep, goats and other small animals are easy prey. In Bhadravathi though, a crocodile attacked a man. In Bagalkot last week, one person was killed by a crocodile In fact, says Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Sanjai Mohan, crocodiles only attack if man enters its domain. "Every year, on an average, around 7-8 crocodiles come in from Maharasthra and we catch them and free them into the Almatti Dam. People need to be vigilant before getting into the river to swim or wash vessels/clothes during that time".
The crocodiles thrive in the swollen rivers, emerging from the shallows only when the river goes dry. Most crocodiles are drawn to the animal waste and bio-medical waste that despite being banned, is still dumped in the rivers.
