1 day Ago
Vadodara: Amid concerns over crocodile deaths in the Vishwamitri River and a day after a condolence meeting to mourn seven such crocodiles which died by Friday, another crocodile was found dead in the river on Saturday. With this, the total number of crocodile deaths in the river increased to eight since the end of last year, even as the reason for the rise in deaths remains unknown. On Saturday afternoon, a crocodile was found dead in the Vishwamitri in Vadsar area.
The carcass was on the surface of the water at a location where the bank of the river was very steep. It was badly decomposed with maggots on it and had to be brought out with the help of personnel from the fire brigade. A forest official said that the carcass was decomposed to such an extent that it was not possible to ascertain the gender of the dead crocodile.
The dead reptile is believed to be six to seven years old and was seven feet long. It is believed to have died around 10 days ago. The exact reason for the rise in deaths is not known yet.
Sources, however, said that a fishing net was found on the carcass of the crocodile. It is believed that the crocodile may have got entangled in the net leading to its death. While the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) started working on the river last month, the increase in the number of deaths was noticed even before the work began.
A research paper published by herpetologist Raju Vyas in 2023 also red-flagged the increase in deaths. But the reason remains a mystery, even as it is believed that the population of crocodiles in the river is on the rise. Activists and wildlife enthusiasts have been expressing concern over the trend.
They have even raised the matter with the officials of the forest department..
