Giant crocodile wanders into Bihar village, forest team captures it in tense rescue

A massive crocodile strayed into a residential area of Bihar’s Khontaha village near the Nepal border, leaving villagers startled after the giant reptile was spotted moving along a road in the middle of the settlement.

The incident took place in Supaul district, where residents spotted the crocodile near a house. News of the sighting quickly spread through the village, attracting a large crowd to the area.

Rather than attempting to handle the reptile themselves, villagers alerted the Dial-112 emergency service and the forest department. A forest department team, along with personnel from Bhimnagar police, soon reached the spot and began an operation to capture the crocodile.

The reptile’s enormous size made the rescue difficult. After considerable effort, the forest department team managed to place a net around it, with villagers also helping during the operation. The crocodile was eventually captured safely, bringing relief to residents who had gathered at the scene.

A forest department official said the team had reached the village after receiving information from residents and managed to safely capture the crocodile after a significant struggle. The reptile was being kept in a safe location and would subsequently be released into the Kosi River.

The sighting was particularly concerning for the largely farming-dependent community. Residents said they regularly travel to their fields, and the presence of crocodiles around agricultural areas and residential zones has become a potential danger.

Villagers recalled that several crocodiles were washed into the region from Nepal during the devastating Kosi floods of 2008. Since then, residents said, crocodile sightings have been reported periodically in the area.

They also claimed that there had been several previous instances in which people narrowly escaped encounters with crocodiles. Following the latest incident, villagers urged the forest department to find a permanent solution and increase surveillance in areas considered vulnerable.

They also called for adequate resources to be made available for future rescue operations.