A crocodile, spotted on the banks of the Bhagirathi in Purba Bardhaman district, has kept foresters and residents busy over the past few days.
On both Monday and Tuesday, the crocodile was spotted on Kalikapur, a small island in the Bhagirathi, around 7km from Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district. Foresters identified it as a mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris).
Medium-sized and broad-snouted, the reptiles are found in freshwater habitats across India.
“The Hooghly is a natural habitat of the crocodile. The sighting is not unnatural but has come after a long time,” said Nisha Goswami, the divisional forest officer of Bardhaman.
The crocodile on the bank of the Bhagirathi in Purba Bardhaman on Monday.
“The crocodile came from the upper reaches of the river. We are not discounting the possibility of Farakka or even further up,” she said.
Ganesh Chowdhury, a local wildlife enthusiast, was among the first to have spotted the crocodile. “I had got information that the crocodile was spotted on the banks of the Bhagirathi in Murshidabad. On Saturday, I spotted it in the river first and then on the island. It has since remained there,” said Chowdhury.
The forest department is regularly monitoring the reptile. “Our personnel are making rounds on boats every day to check on it,” said Goswami.
The department has also carried out awareness drives at nearby villages — Daihat, Matiari, Nayachar and Ballavpur — to inform people about the presence of the crocodile.
“We are telling people not to be afraid. But they should also not go to see the crocodile in large groups. We are asking people to let the animal be. The crocodile is a shy animal,” said a forester.