A video grab shows a small crocodile before it attacks a dog on a flooded street in Vadodara. (Express) A video grab shows a small crocodile before it attacks a dog on a flooded street in Vadodara. (Express)

The Forest Department of Vadodara has so far rescued three crocodiles which had swum to residential areas after water from the Vishwamitri river flooded the city. However, the officials warned that more crocodiles will surface when the water starts receding.

“So far we have rescued three crocodiles, one of them from a society on Rajmahal road and two from societies in Nizampura area of the city,” Assistant Conservator of Forests Vinod Damor said. “The crocodile rescued from Rajmahal road was four feet long and nearly six years old while the others were baby crocodiles of about two years of age. They have been moved to our rescue centre for now.”

Saying that it was likely that more crocodiles would be spotted once the water starts receding, Damor added, “The actual challenge is then. We have circulated our helpline numbers but there have been no more calls so far. We had also rescued a big tortoise from Fatehgunj area of the city. The forest department has circulated contact details of officials concerned and volunteers to be approached in each area in case of any emergency related to wildlife.

Speaking to the media, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said teams of Forest Department officials and voluntary organisations were keeping watch on the situation to catch any crocodile that is found from the waterlogged Vadodara city.

In a video that went viral of the crocodile rescued from Rajmahal road, the reptile is seen creeping up to two dogs stranded in the flooded waters and attacking one of them. Residents of the society could do nothing but watch. In the video, the dog is seen yelping and freeing itself from the jaws of the small crocodile.

The Vishwamitri river is home to nearly 300 crocodiles, as per the last census. Sighting a crocodile in residential areas close to the river is not uncommon but with the river water entering the city, the number of sightings is likely to rise.

Meanwhile, rescue operations were also carried out at the Sayaji Baug Zoo to relocate the animals housed there to safer heights and enclosures. Beginning Wednesday night, animals from low-lying areas were first moved to safer cages and mounds were created in enclosures of herbivores to keep them safe from the rising flood waters. “We had started the rescue operations on Wednesday night itself but the water has substantially increased since Thursday morning,” curator of the zoo Pratyush Patankar said. “We have also moved our birds and tortoises to make-shift cages. The carnivores are already on an elevated enclosure so they are safe. There is neck-deep water close to the birds’ enclosures and hence they had to be rescued first.”

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