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Madhya Pradesh: Crocodile ambles across Shivpuri highway, stalls traffic

BHOPAL: A crocodile caused a traffic jam on a highway in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh as curious people gathered to get a glimpse of the reptile.


Forest officials say, they were alerted about the crocodile at about 10am on Friday. The crocodile was estimated to be around 10 feet in length. Several onlookers, including motorists and residents who lived nearby, gathered at the spot to see the crocodile cross the highway.



Its video was uploaded on social media sites which went viral attracting more people towards the site, say locals. Police had to be deployed on the site.

Crocodile was spotted by cattle grazers near Rannod village at Dekua square. They informed the forest department after which the reptile was captured and released in the pond. Forest officials have been asked to monitor the situation and carry out a rescue operation if necessary.

Crocodiles straying out on roads are seemingly becoming a routine affair in this district. Earlier a crocodile of the same size had entered the BSNL colony in Shivpuri triggering panic among residents.

It was rescued by forest officials after an hourlong operation. Water bodies in Shivpuri are prime habitat for the marsh crocodile, classified as a ‘vulnerable’ species and protected by law. A recent census states that there are 100 crocodiles in Shivpuri’s Sakhya Sagar Lake itself. The Chambal River that flows through Madhav National Park is home to more than 500 crocodiles. With human habitations so close to crocodile habitats, conflicts are inevitable, say officials. Muggers have often strayed into villages on the fringes of the national park, triggering panic. More than 14 crocodiles have been rescued from nearby villages and returned to the lake in recent months. Environmentalists attribute the spike in straying to a sudden rise in crocodile population and depleting number of fish in the lakes and river.

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