SWD rescues young crocodile after 8-day operation

The reptile was found near Wagni village, which is famous for having a ‘crocodile ditch’

KARACHI: The Sindh wildlife department (SWD) rescued a young crocodile near Ghotki in the culmination of an eight-day-long operation on Saturday. The crocodile has been released to the breeding sanctuary at the Sufi Anwar Shah Safari Park in Ghotki.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, SWD conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar said that area residents had informed the department’s field officials last week that a crocodile had been seen near Wagni village.

“It took eight days to rescue the crocodile,” he stated, adding that at least 11 officials of the department were involved in the catch and release operation. “It was a challenging task to trace it [the crocodile].”

Mahar maintained that no villagers were harmed during the operation. “The villagers informed the field officials of the presence of the crocodile immediately [after they spotted it] and they [field officials] initiated the operation,” he explained.

The conservator revealed that it was not the first time that the villagers had seen a crocodile, adding that a similar incident took place a few years ago.

He said the village was famous for having a ‘crocodile ditch,’ where the reptiles were often present. “Wagni translates to ‘of crocodile’ in Sindhi,” he explained.

According to Mahar, the Indus River system had been inhabited by two kinds of crocodile species, the mugger crocodile and the fish-eating gharial. “The species became extinct in the wild due to habitat alterations in the mid-1980s,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2020.