Kadamtala, June 07: Kadamtala Ward No. 1 in Middle Andaman continues to be gripped by curiosity and concern after a crocodile that was spotted in a private pond mysteriously disappeared despite an extensive rescue operation.
The crocodile was first seen on Friday and was reportedly captured by local residents and handed over to the Forest Department. However, during the rescue process, the reptile slipped away from officials and returned to the water.
On Saturday, the Forest Department launched a large-scale search operation to locate the animal. Two motor pumps were deployed to drain the pond, fishing nets were laid, and even an elephant was brought in to remove a large tree that officials suspected could be concealing the crocodile among its roots or in the mud.
According to Kadamtala Pradhan, the intensive search continued from morning until evening, but no trace of the crocodile could be found. Local residents claim the reptile may have entered the pond in search of fish, making its disappearance all the more puzzling.
Many villagers believe that continuous rainfall and a connected drainage channel may have provided an escape route during the night, though this has not been officially confirmed. The Forest Department has advised residents to remain vigilant, warning that the crocodile could still be hiding in a nearby pond, stream, or water body.
The sudden disappearance of a crocodile that was clearly seen in the pond just a day earlier has become a major topic of discussion across the area, with the mystery remaining unsolved.
