Belthangady: A crocodile was rescued from an abandoned well at Dondole, here on Monday, June 3.
The three-hour-long rescue operation paid off after which it was released into the Charmadi forest area.
According to sources, the crocodile had made its way from the River Nethravathi in the vicinity and moved towards the land.
The rescue operation was led by Zonal Forest Officer Subbaiah and team. A team from Pilikula Biological Park was called. As the team could not make it, the forest officials themselves conducted the rescue operation with the help of a net.
The residents opined that the crocodile might have been chased by some animal and due to no fence around the abandoned well, it might have fallen directly into it.
A nearby resident named Sajeev Sapalya who saw it first, assumed it was a monitor lizard. Later, when people came to know it was a crocodile, the news spread rapidly and hundreds of people flocked around the well to see it.
The residents opine that it might have come out of the river unable to bear the heat as there is no water in it. They say that it might have fallen into the well while looking for shade.
Zuber Uppinangadi, Sameer Atu Belal, forest staff Sharath, Pratham, Shankar P, Sudhakar, Sadashiv and others took part in the rescue operation.
