A 38-year-old woman was attacked and dragged into water by a crocodile in Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district.
An adult crocodile attacked Baula Pradhan, a fisher woman near Ajagarapatia creek yesterday, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) forest division, Kedar Kumar Swain said.
The victim was yet to be traced.
Forest personnel went to the area after villagers agitated over, "Such incidents frequently taking place on humans." The incident occurred within the national park limits.
The fisher woman's family would be covered under ex-gratia compensation payment scheme following recovery of body, he said.
A fortnight back, a woman of Bania village was similarly dragged by a crocodile, forest officials said. However, any casualty is yet to be officially registered as the victim's body could not be retrieved.
The victims are mostly trespassing into national park water bodies for fishing and collecting wood and are falling prey to such attacks. These water-bodies are crocodile-infested zones, he said.
There are official reports of saltwater crocodiles from Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary straying into Brahmani, Baitarani, Petashala and Kharasrota rivers, Swain said.
The conflict and consequent loss of human lives are frequently recorded during monsoon and winter months, the nesting season of the estuarine crocodiles.
