BHOPAL: What do you do if you get stuck with crocodiles? Take selfies, apparently.
That’s what’s happening in floodhit Shivpuri town, which is crawling with crocs after the nearby Sakhya Sagar Lake — home to a dense cluster of ‘muggers’ or marsh crocodiles — broke its banks after two days of torrential downpour.
A flurry of videos from Shivpuri town went viral on Wednesday, showing crocs swimming through flooded streets, people using ropes to drag the reptiles out of submerged homes and shops, and vying to get a mugshot with the ‘muggers’.
100 marsh crocodiles in Sakhya Sagar Lake
In one of the videos, a group of people is seen lifting a trussed-up 10-ft crocodile and clicking selfies with it before slamming it on the ground, cheering wildly.
The croc tries to wriggle away but it’s futile as its limbs and mouth are tied up. In another, people armed with a crowbar and sticks poke, prod and drag a ‘mugger’ out of the basement of a shop. The majority of people in the flooded town are terrified, though, and have moved to rooftops and higher ground. There’s a sleepless night ahead for many of them.
A recent census found at least 100 marsh crocodiles in Sakhya Sagar Lake. The swollen Chambal river, which flows through the nearby Madhav National Park, is home to around 500 more.
With human habitations so close to crocodile habitats, conflict is inevitable. Muggers sometimes stray into villages on the fringes of the national park or the outskirts of Shivpuri. This time, with Chambal in spate and the lake flooded, it’s like an invasion.
Forest officials have rescued five crocodiles from the streets, and fear there are more. When the water recedes, more crocs will be spotted, they say, and warn people to be cautious.
The forest department has circulated phone numbers of officials and volunteers who residents can call to deal with ‘wildlife emergencies’.
Forest officials have been asked to keep a close watch and even check out viral videos to see where crocs need to be rescued. The marsh crocodile is classified as a ‘vulnerable’ species’ and is protected by law.
