Mumbai: 9-foot-long crocodile rescued from residential area in Mulund

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A nine-foot-long crocodile strayed into a residential area in Mulund from where it was rescued on Sunday morning, a wildlife welfare group representative said, reported news agency PTI.

The forest department control room received a distress call in the morning about the huge crocodile being spotted at the Nirmal Lifestyle housing society in Mulund area, he said, reported PTI.

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Later, members of the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) led a rescue operation in coordination with forest officials at the residential area in Mulund.

They safely rescued the female Indian Marsh crocodile at around 6.30 am. After a medical examination, the reptile was released into its natural habitat, said Pawan Sharma, founder of the RAWW and honorary wildlife warden with the forest department, reported PTI.

Indian marsh crocodile rescued from Aarey

A 4-foot-long male Indian Marsh Crocodile was successfully rescued from the Khambyacha Pada area of Aarey Milk Colony after being swept into a ditch by rain-induced floods.

The rescue of the crocodile took place on the evening of August 16 at 8:30 pm, when local residents noticed the young reptile stranded close to human habitation.

The crocodile, weighing 4.7 kg and estimated to be 2-3 years old, was promptly rescued by a team from SARRP India, consisting of Mangesh Chaudhry, Shubham Kadam, Asif Patrawala, Arun Pandit, and Devang Dave. The rescue operation was taken under the guidance of Roshan Shinde of the forest department. The team worked swiftly to secure the animal and ensure it was safely removed from the area.

Following its rescue, the crocodile was taken for a medical examination conducted by Dr. Vinaya Jangale at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). After being declared healthy and fit, the animal was released back into its natural habitat at Tulsi Lake on August 17 at 12:30 pm.

Previous sightings

In January 2023 a crocodile was spotted in Mithi River near the water body which is adjacent to Maharashtra Nature Park (MNP). Authorities informed the forest department, requesting that it capture the reptile. In October 2022, a staff member of MNP in Mahim spotted an over-four-foot-long crocodile in the Mithi.

In October 2022, officials from the mangrove cell visited the MNP to observe the situation, but they could not locate the crocodile. It was believed that it was likely that the crocodile might have headed towards the sea.

(With inputs from PTI)