4.4 ft crocodile rescued from construction site in Mulund, released in wild

A 4 foot long crocodile was rescued from a drain near a construction site in Mumbai’s Mulund area on Sunday night and subsequently released into its natural habitat.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, forest officials and animal rescue groups took around seven hours to direct the reptile into the nets and remove it out of the drain near Yogi Hills in Mulund West.

Locals spotted the crocodile at Aristo construction site around 3 pm on Sunday, following Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) was alerted.

Its officials reached the area and spotted the crocodile, following which a team of 15 people, including RAWW and Mumbai forest range officials, was formed for the rescue operation.

“Our team surveyed all possible exit points for the reptile from the drain and secured them. We used halogen lights to identify its exact location, and water pumps to reduce water levels before pulling it out,” RAWW president Pawan Sharma told the daily.

By 9 pm, the rescuers had set up nets in the drain and tried to coax the crocodile into them, but in vain. Finally, the position of the nets was changed and the reptile was caught around 1 am.

The reptile was examined by Dr. Rina Dev, who identified it as a five to six-year-old male marsh crocodile. It was 4.4 foot in length and weighed approximately 8.8 kg.

Since it was declared fit for release in the wild, it was clipped for future identification and released into its natural habitat on Monday.

In Mumbai, crocodiles are typically found in Tulsi & Vihar lakes inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and in Powai lake. So far, RAWW members have not been able to ascertain how the reptile managed to reach the spot in Mulund.