It became a tense morning in the Vallabhbari area of Kota when a 10-foot long crocodile entered a human settlement. It was found slyly hiding in a drain near the Hanuman temple with only the threatening jaws up, as if awaiting an unsuspecting prey. The first person to discover the incoming creature was temple priest Pawan Dadhich and raised the alarm without delay for residents to move away at unsafe distance. His alertness led to the early reporting to the forest department while Ward-7 Councilor Gyanendra Singh had been informed within no time.
The incident that occurred around 9.30 am on Sunday morning in the Gumanpura police station jurisdiction became a hive of activity. A crowd assembled as the proceeding developed, awe-inspired and anxious. After about an hour-long effort, eight-men-team comprising 4 forest department workers and 4 sanitation workers managed to extricate the crocodile from its hiding place. It was then roped and transported for release to the Chambal River. A video showing the dramatic rescue has now emerged.
A Reptilian Visitor via Canal
Councilor Gyanendra Singh recounted the morning’s chaos: “I got a call from the priest about a crocodile in the drain near the temple. I rushed to Vallabhbari with 15 sanitation workers and alerted the authorities.” Forest department employee Virendra Singh shed light on how the crocodile ended up there: “It likely traveled from Sagar Talab through a nearby canal. At 10 feet long, it was probably hunting cats or pigs that frequent the drain.”
This isn’t an isolated incident—crocodiles have wandered into Kota’s residential areas before, drawn by the deep, wide drains connected to canals. For now, the colony breathes a sigh of relief, but the event serves as a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictable reach.
