Vadodara: Panic gripped the Nagarwada area of Vadodara after a seven-foot crocodile entered a pit near an under-construction bridge on Wednesday. The reptile was safely rescued by the Forest Department after an hour-long operation and later released into the Vishwamitri River.

According to officials, construction work was underway beneath the Vishwamitri Bridge in Nagarwada when workers spotted the crocodile trapped inside a pit near the bridge site. Following an alert, a rescue team from the Vadodara Forest Department, including Nitin Patel, Jignesh Parmar and Lalu Nizama, along with Rameshbhai from GSPC, rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. After considerable effort, the team safely captured and relocated the reptile.

7-Foot Crocodile Rescued from Pit Near Under-Construction Bridge in Vadodarahttps://t.co/P8Tsac7o7i pic.twitter.com/A9a0C7xTmf

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Vadodara has witnessed a steady rise in crocodile sightings due to the growing reptile population in and around the Vishwamitri River. Officials said there were around 50 crocodiles in the river in 1960, but the number has now increased to over 400. Across Vadodara district, including the Vishwamitri, Dev, Dhadhar and Narmada rivers, along with various lakes, the crocodile population is estimated to exceed 1,000. DeshGujarat