Uttarakhand: Crocodile rescued from Haridwar home, released into Ganga

A specialised quick-response rescue team trained in handling reptiles, particularly crocodiles, was dispatched to Giddawali village of Haridwar district’s Laksar block

Haridwar: The Uttarakhand forest department on Saturday rescued a crocodile that had entered a house in Giddawali village of Haridwar district’s Laksar block and released it into a stretch of the Ganga.

The rescue operation lasted for over an hour. (HT Photo/ Representative image)

Forest officials said they were alerted that a crocodile was spotted inside a residential compound. A specialised quick-response rescue team trained in handling reptiles, particularly crocodiles, was dispatched to the village.

The rescue operation lasted for over an hour. “The crocodile was safely trapped and captured by our expert team without harm. It was later released into a safe stretch of the Ganga,” Haridwar forest ranger Shailendra Singh Negi said.

The forest department has ramped up vigil in the region, especially in villages located near water bodies. “Villagers have also been advised to maintain proper lighting around their homes during the night. We are also sensitising local residents to immediately inform us in case any wild animal, including crocodiles, is spotted in residential areas. The public can call the forest department helpline at 1926 for prompt assistance,” Negi added.

Instances of wild animals entering human settlements have increased in parts of Haridwar, particularly in the monsoon months, when rising water levels in rivers and canals push reptiles and other wildlife out of their natural habitats.

This is the second such incident in the area this year. Forest officials rescued a crocodile from Munda Kheda village in Haridwar in May.

Last year too, the forest department rescued reptiles. A crocodile was rescued from Bhagwanpur Road in Haridwar district and was later released in the Ban Ganga River in October. In September, two crocodiles were rescued from the Haridwar-Kotdwar highway in Shyampur area and Amau Colony in the Khatima area, respectively.

Uttarakhand is home to two of India’s three crocodilian species — the Mugger Crocodile and the Gharial — primarily found in the Corbett landscape, Terai region, parts of the Haridwar forest division, and Rajaji National Park. A recent aquatic census in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) recorded 197 crocodiles and 183 alligators. In recent years, human-wildlife conflict has surfaced: an eight-year-old girl was killed by a crocodile in Haridwar in 2020, and villagers in Khatima were booked in 2022 for killing a crocodile.