Indian Forest Service officer Susanta Nanda recently shared two videos on Twitter on July 19, showing crocodiles roaming on the roads in Rajasthan's Kota and Gujarat's Talala districts after heavy monsoon rains.
In the videos that have gone viral on social media, crocodiles can be seen crossing the roads in Kota, Rajasthan, and similar scenes were witnessed in Talala district in the Gir region of Gujarat.
The aftermath of the heavy rainfall in the northern and western parts of India has led to flood-like situations. However, even more, surprising is the presence of crocodiles on the roads in these remote districts of Gujarat. The crocodiles have left their usual habitat near the river due to the high water levels, forcing them to seek safer locations for survival, hence their appearance on the roads.
Susanta Nanda, the Indian Forest officer who shared the videos, poses a challenging question: Why aren't amphibians protected enough to prevent them from moving towards urban areas? There must be compelling reasons for these wild creatures to take such drastic measures to survive.
The Deputy Conservation Officer, Kota, Jairam Pandey, confirmed the incident and mentioned that the city is located on the banks of the Chambal River, known as a "Gharial sanctuary" (crocodile sanctuary), making crocodile sightings a common occurrence in nearby residential areas.
This raises the question of why residential areas are built so close to rivers, considering the potential threat posed by crocodiles to the people living there.
On Twitter, Nanda shared the video with the caption "Scary... Crocodile crossing the road in Kota, Rajasthan. Effects of Monsoon rains" and also shared a video showing crocodiles in action.
The video since the upload has gathered thousands of views and comments with many viewers bespectacled by the videos. “Wow, but scary,” said a user. “This crock appears big and grown up,” said another. While another said, “Hope they were rescued”.
It is essential to address the issue of protecting wildlife habitats and ensuring the safety of both humans and animals in regions prone to such natural occurrences.