Chennai: Chennai wildlife authorities on Wednesday cordoned off Sadanandhapuram temple tank near Perungalathur after sighting a three and a half foot mugger crocodile.
The foresters and the local civic body have issued warning advisory for the public to stay away from the water body. Jayaraman, 28, of Alapakkam, who sighted the crocodile resting on a stone, informed the villagers about the presence of a reptile. A team led by Velachery wildlife rescue headquarters ranger T. Murugesan on Wednesday inspected the pond and took photographs of the crocodile.
The Sadanandhapuram civic authorities also dispatched messengers to make a public announcement to keep the residents informed about the crocodile threat.
“We have requested the Kattankulathur block development office to drain the water body so that the reptile can be rescued at the earliest and we are working on strategies to fish out the crocodile”, said ranger T. Murugesan.
In the past 10 years, three crocodiles have been fished out of the same pond and the public is now in a state of shock, said Jayaraman.
According to foresters, the first crocodile rescue in Kancheepuram district was way back in 2006 and so far, seven mugger crocodiles have been fished out from water bodies in and around Vandalur zoo. “We suspect that the young ones from the zoo escape during floods or they could have escaped the clutches of predatory birds landing in nearby ponds and then the baby crocodiles growing into adults”, said Vandalur zoo sources.
