After BKC incident, Versova locals report spoting Indian Marsh Crocodile; no pictures yet, but conservationists believe sighting is plausible
Versova creek near Shiv Gully where the crocodile was spotted
Following last month’s crocodile sighting in the Mithi River near BKC, residents of Versova have now reported spotting an Indian Marsh Crocodile in the creek near Versova village. Though no photographic or video evidence has been captured to confirm the claim, wildlife conservation experts consider the sighting plausible and unsurprising.
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Madnesh Magederan, a Versova village resident and animal enthusiast said, “A few days ago, I heard about a crocodile being spotted in the creek near Shiv Gully. About a week later, I personally saw a juvenile crocodile, roughly two feet long, at the same location. Unfortunately, before I could take a photo, it disappeared into the water. During a previous sighting, some individuals reportedly threw stones at the animal.”
He urged the community to avoid disturbing the reptile and to notify authorities if the crocodile is seen again so the forest department can take appropriate action.
On Wednesday, Madnesh Magederan reported the crocodile sighting to Pawan Sharma, the Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane and President of the NGO RAWW. Pawan Sharma explained that the mangroves and creeks in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) are largely unexplored in terms of human-crocodile interactions. He said, “With all our natural freshwater habitats within city limits and outskirts mainly exiting through drains that lead to the creeks and eventually the sea, there is a high potential for displaced crocodiles to surface there. In some cases, they may be migrating back, but they also have the potential to adapt, stay there, or even become unable to return to their original habitat, which may require intervention.”
Sharma highlighted the need for monitoring these areas due to the availability of food, shelter, and favourable living conditions, which could encourage crocodiles to remain. “We need to ensure that these interactions don’t lead to conflicts and instead develop a successful coexistence model, similar to what we’ve achieved with leopards,” he added.
Earlier, on July 25, mid-day reported that after more than 18 months, an Indian Marsh Crocodile was sighted again in the Mithi River. Wildlife conservation experts believe there is no cause for alarm, suggesting that the crocodile may have arrived following the overflow of Vihar and Powai lakes. Pawan Sharma also told mid-day that the crocodile was spotted in the Mithi River near BKC, resting on floating garbage.
Previous sightings
In October 2022, in a first, a staff member of MNP in Mahim spotted a marsh crocodile, in the Mithi River. Wildlife experts speculated that the crocodile might have been swept downstream from Vihar or Powai Lake. In January 2023, same crocodile was spotted again, this time near the water body adjacent to MNP and later in a small pond inside the park. The forest department could not locate the crocodile, believing it may have moved towards the sea.
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