Kendrapada: A 47-year-old man sustained serious injuries in a crocodile attack in the Kharasrota river in Jajpur district on Friday morning, marking the second such incident in the area within two days.The victim, Pratap Mallick of Gholapur village under Dalijoda forest range, was bathing in the river when the reptile suddenly attacked him. He suffered severe injuries in his hand, neck and back and is undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital in Jajpur.Earlier, a 66-year-old farmer was attacked by a saltwater crocodile on Wednesday afternoon in the same river while taking a bath. “I was in waist-deep water when the reptile grabbed my hand. Other villagers heard my cry for help and came to my rescue. As luck would have it, my life was saved as the reptile gave in after others started throwing stones at it,” said Pratap.Satyananda Subudhi, forest range officer of Dalijodi forest range, confirmed that preliminary assessment suggests the same crocodile was involved in the last two attacks.“The crocodile must have covered around 100 km from Bhitarkanika to reach the Kharasrota river in Jajpur district,” Subudhi said. The recurrence of attacks in the same belt prompted the forest department to initiate immediate action. “A team from Bhitarkanika National Park reached the area on Friday to capture the strayed crocodile. The team is equipped with nests and other equipment to capture the crocodile,” he added.Bhitarkanika is the only place in the state where more than 1,800 saltwater crocodiles live. Occasionally, crocodiles wander into the water bodies of the park.
