A 60-year-old woman was grievously injured as an estuarine crocodile pounced upon her at a bathing ghat in Rajapur village in Kendrapara district, officials said today.
The injured woman is undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital here with multiple wounds. However she is stated to be out of danger, they said.
The woman was cleaning utensils at the bathing ghat yesterday afternoon when the crocodile attacked her and tried to drag her into deep water. However the locals hearing the scream of the woman rescued her, he officials added.
At least three man-croc conflict incidents have been reported in Rajnagar area since one month. The area is close to the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary.
Forest personnel are of the view that people are exposing themselves to croc attack by venturing into croc-infested water bodies.
The local people mostly disregard the precautionary warning, a forest official said.
Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) forest division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya said: "The forest department has initiated a series of measures to save human and domesticated animals lives from preying crocs."
Around 50 riverside spots were identified as danger zones because of frequent sighting of reptiles in these places. Warning has been issued to people to avoid these troubled water zones, he said.
The bathing ghats which have become vulnerable zone due to croc intrusion have been barricaded. Service groups have also been pressed into service to drive away crocs from places of human habitation, the DFO said.
The latest croc atack occurred outside the national park limits. The state forest department is bearing the cost of treatment of the woman injured in the croc attack. Besides the department would also award compensation sum to the injured persons family as per revised rules, Divisional Forest Officer said.
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