Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Feb 17: Sighting of a crocodile twice in two different tourist spots Port Blair city, in less than 24 hours have triggered panic among local residents and tourists.
Crocodile was first spotted at tourists favourite Corbyn’s Cove beach yesterday and this evening crocodile was again spotted at Marina Park area, another tourist favourite place, nearly 8 km away from Corbyn’s Cove beach. However, it is not clear whether same crocodile was sighted in both the places. As the news spread like wildfire, hundreds of people gathered along the Marina Park road to see the crocodile.
“Crocodile in tourist locations of Andaman and Nicobar Islands may lead to accidents at any point of time. The Andaman Administration must put proper warning signboards in all the beaches,” Harish, a tourist told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ today.
Though sighting of crocodile at Corbyn’s Cove beach has become regular affair but at Marina Park area crocodiles were never spotted before.
“We have deployed police jawans along the coastal area and asked people to stay away from the Aberdeen Jetty and remain in safe areas. Forest Officials have also reached the spot and are now trying to tranquilise the crocodile. The crocodile looks big in size,” Mr. Chinmoy Biswas, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (South Andaman) told ‘Andaman Sheekha’ over phone.
However, Senior Officers of Forest Department were unavailable for comments.
“Perhaps it’s a female crocodile and looking for a site for laying eggs,” a forest official said on the condition of anonymity.
In last three years four people have been killed by crocodiles in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the victims was a tourist from New Jersey, Lauren Failla, who was killed by a saltwater crocodile while snorkelling in Neil Cove beach of Havelock Island in April 2010. This is high time for the Administration to act to keep islanders and visiting tourists safe from the crocodiles.
