Locals capture crocodile after weeks of sightings in Manikganj

A group of local youths used ropes to trap and capture the 12-foot-long reptile that had caused panic among riverside residents

A crocodile that had been spotted in a distributary of the Padma River in Manikganj has finally been captured in a trap set by local residents.

The reptile was caught around 8:30pm on Friday in Manikganj Sadar's Choukighata area, according to Md Shariful Islam, a forest officer from Harirampur Upazila.

“A group of local youths captured the crocodile that had been seen in rivers near several villages in Dhulsura and Harukandi Unions of Harirampur Upazila, as well as in the Hatipara Union of the Sadar Upazila,” he said on Sunday.

The locals who took part in the capture were identified by single names as Rahat, Antor, Rakib, Al Amin, Suruj, and Shahin.

They said the crocodile had been sighted multiple times over the past month in the rivers near Charbongkhuri in Manikganj Sadar, and in the Boali, Ailkundhi, Khamarhati, and Tantrakhola areas of Harirampur Upazila.

Its repeated appearances had caused panic among riverside residents, many of whom stopped entering the water.

To help ease public fear, the group of men had been tracking the crocodile’s movements for several days. They spotted it again on Friday morning, and when it resurfaced around 8:30pm near Choukighata, they used ropes to trap and capture it.

The men said the crocodile measured about 12 feet in length.

“After being informed, a rescue team from Dhaka set out for the site. They will take the crocodile to Khulna, where it will receive necessary medical care before being released back into the wild,” said Shariful.