Mysore/Mysuru: A 750-kg-weighing crocodile was rescued from a well in agriculture field at Chennabasavana Hundi in T. Narasipur taluk of Mysuru district yesterday.

A team of Forest Department officials, led by Range Forest Officer (RFO) Shashidhar, took 12-hours to lift crocodile from the well.

On Friday evening, villagers saw a big crocodile in the well belonging to one Tripura and informed the Department Officers. They reached the spot and confirmed the presence of a big crocodile inside the well. Since the well was situated in a private land, they took permission from the senior officials for rescue operation. Later, some employees from Mysuru Zoo also joined operation.

The crocodile was aged around 35 years, 8 foot long and weighing around 750 kg. Since the well was 15 feet to 20 feet deep, it proved difficult for the personnel to rescue it. So, they emptied water with the help of four pump-sets. Then they captured the giant crocodile, shifted it to Aranya Bhavan in Mysuru. Later, as per instruction of senior officials, it was taken to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district.

Locals say this is for the second time that they are seeing such a big crocodile in recent years. Last time, a crocodile was spotted in an agricultural field after it came along the flood waters in River Cauvery near Mudukuthore. 

The Forest Officials are baffled from where this gigantic crocodile came and since how many days it was in well. Hundreds of people had gathered at the spot to have the glimpse of the ‘giant visitor.’

The rescue operation was carried out by DRFO S.M. Manjunath, M.S. Umesh, Chandrappa Lamani, Manjunath, Nagaraju, Papu and the staff of Mysuru Zoo.