Four crocodiles were rescued in the early hours of Monday from Vadodara and surrounding villages, taking the total number of these reptiles saved during this year's monsoon to 76, a senior Gujarat forest department official said.
The four crocodiles were rescued from the campus of a hostel, a railway crossing and two villages, said Range Forest Officer (RFO) Nidhi Dave.
"The hostel for resident doctors of Sir Sayajirao General Hospital is near Vishwamitri river and the crocodile may have come from there. One was caught from the Kalali railway crossing, while two others were rescued from Hansapura and Kapurai villages," Dave said.
"It created panic among the residents there. But teams of animal welfare NGOs and the forest department rescued them in an operation that last till 2am today," said Arvind Pawar, a member of one of the rescue teams.
Dave said incessant rains this year has brought several crocodiles out of Vishwamitri and Dhadhar rivers and nearby ponds onto streets and residential complexes.
"Since August 1, we have rescued 76 crocodiles, including 41 after August 16," Dave said.
Officials said Vishwamitri and Dhadhar rivers are home to more than 250 crocodiles.
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