A mugger crocodile, which is a native of freshwater habitats, was rescued from a well at Vannamparaipatti village in Melur taluk on Saturday. The crocodile was around four foot long.
A team of forest department officials and volunteers of Oorvanam, a non-governmental organisation, rushed to the spot after they received information from the villagers.
District Forest Officer (DFO) S. Anand said this species of crocodile was usually found in freshwater sources like rivers, ponds and lakes and not in Madurai region.
“Initially, the villagers told us that the crocodile might have been washed away from Vaigai dam. However, when we enquired officials from Theni district, they told us that the crocodile was not usually found in the Vaigai river too,” said Mr. Anand.
There were possibilities that it could have been smuggled and brought here during the lockdown, said Mr. Anand. “We are investigating focusing on this aspect,” he said.
The DFO also added that they had been searching for the crocodile for the past one month based on information that they had received earlier.
