Kendrapada: It was 8 in the morning when Purusottam Sethi woke up. A farmer, the 52-year-old had slept a bit late since his field and surrounding areas were under water and he had nowhere to go. But just as he tried to step out of the door, he froze in fear. A giant saltwater crocodile was staring back at him.The full-grown reptile (measuring around 20-foot long) was lying on the verandah of Sethi’s house, beside overflowing Brahmani river in Padanipala village of Kendrapada’s Aul block.“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Purushottam. “I quickly gathered my wits, slammed the door shut and immediately rushed inside, warning my wife and two sons not to venture outside. The giant reptile could have easily swallowed an adult human in one mouthful.”Overcoming the initial shock, family members peeped and then cautiously stepped out to get a closer look at the crocodile, resting on the flooded verandah. Villagers were informed. They stayed at a distance, eyeing the reptile.“I sent a message to sarpanch Bikram Mallick. He and villagers reached our home armed with bamboo sticks and sharp weapons, and sent the reptile back into the floodwaters,” said Sethi, recounting the sequence of events.Though snakes are common in the area during flooding, seeing a large crocodile resting on the verandah gave the Sethis and villagers a scare.Bhitarkanika National Park divisional forest officer Varadaraj Gaonkar said monitoring has been intensified in flood-affected areas. “Floods often force crocodiles out of their natural habitat and into human settlements. No injuries have been reported so far,” he said, adding that the reptiles are expected to return to Bhitarkanika once the floodwaters recede.
