By A family residing near the Chalakkudy river in Athirappally, Kerala was horrified to find a full-grown crocodile lounging on the verandah of their home early Wednesday morning.
Thachiyath Shajan opened the doors of his home in his usual morning stupor around 5 am Wednesday to find the reptile on his verandah. Terrified, he ran back inside and dialled his neighbours and the forest department officials.
Initial rescue efforts began by the locals who attempted to entice the reptile out of the home by poking it with a pipe. But the crocodile was in no mood to relent and settled himself under a sofa on the verandah. Visuals taken by locals on their phones show the crocodile resisting the attempts by the public to relocate it in an aggressive manner.
It took a combined team of forest officials and locals over two hours to finally secure the crocodile using ropes and carry it to the river for its release. The reptile was released back in the Chalakkudy river near the base of the popular Athirappilly waterfalls, a region known for the sighting of crocodiles and alligators. In fact, forest officials have repeatedly warned tourists from taking a dip in the river in that area due to the threat of crocodiles.
T Ajikumar, Range Forest Officer, Charpa Range, told The Indian Express, “The crocodile was about 2.5 to 3 metres in length. It may have accidentally wandered into the home because it is located close to the river. In recent days, tourists have reported spotting them even on the main road especially in the evenings.”
