A unique sight was seen in flood-affected Belagavi, where a 10-ft long crocodile found its way to the top of a house, and was discovered when the water started receding gradually on Monday. A huge crowd gathered to see the crocodile, and a video of the crocodile perched on the house went viral.
#WATCH A crocodile lands on roof of a house in flood-affected Raybag taluk in Belgaum. #Karnataka (11.08.19) pic.twitter.com/wXbRRrx9kF
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2019
"The reptile was seen resting on the roof of Ajit Sutara's house after the water receded by a foot on Sunday when the rain subsided," state nodal officer Hallappa Pujari told IANS.
"As Sutar's farmhouse is about one kilometre from the riverbank, the crocodile sailed along in the direction of the house and held on to the sheet to remain on the rooftop for hours," said revenue official Prashant Patil.
After rainwater flooded and submerged all houses around the riverbank, Sutar and his family had moved to higher and safer ground even as heavy rain continued to lash the region all week.
"The crocodile later slipped into the water and disappeared in an hour as the curious crowd approached it and made noise from all around," said Deputy Tehsildar Pujari.
It was Sutar who had spotted the male crocodile perched on his rooftop and alerted the police. A rescue team was also alerted. "By the time, the rescue team could reach the spot, the reptile plunged into the receding waters and swam away," added Patil. But within that hour, the crocodile was the star attraction as people fell over each other to take pictures and videos.
The water started receding from Monday morning with no significant rainfall in the northern parts of the state in the last 48 hours.
The floods that have ravaged the northern, central and coastal parts so far have resulted in the death of 48 persons with another 12 people reported missing.
(IANS inputs)