Mumbai: Crocodiles In Human Habitation

Mumbai, 2nd November 2022: Crocodiles have been found in human settlements while leopards roamed the area. A crocodile was captured by the Forest Department from Ambawadi in Unit No. 31 of Aarey on Tuesday afternoon. Soon this crocodile is going to be released in its natural habitat. A tribal farmer from Unit No. 31, Ambwadi, had made a small pit and stored water to irrigate the farm. He found some fish while removing the mud from this pit around 2 pm on Tuesday. He cast a net to catch this fish. When the farmer went to take out the fish caught in the net, he found a crocodile there. He immediately informed the forest department and charitable organizations like the Wildlife Welfare Association and Tales of Hope. The forest department staff and members of the organization took the crocodile to a veterinary hospital in Thane. The crocodile was examined there and soon will be released into its natural habitat.

According to Raj Jadhav of the Wildlife Welfare Association, this is a female crocodile, and the 3.3 feet creature weighs 1.7 kg. She is estimated to be one and a half to two years old. There are no large water reservoirs or ponds around the place where the alligator was found. At that time, the question was being raised as to how this crocodile came into this pit. Crocodiles migrate from one water body to another water body. But this crocodile can’t come through such a long journey. Therefore, the main question is how the crocodile came to be. It is also being speculated that the crocodile found while fishing in Powai Lake may have been brought here by someone.