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BFF-34
ANIMAL-INDIA-HOSTAGE-CROCODILE
Indian village holds crocodile hostage
NEW DELHI, Sept 11, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Villagers in northern India were
initially alarmed when they found a crocodile lurking in the local pond. But
then they hatched a plan — to demand a ransom.
The two-metre (eight-foot) reptile from a nearby nature reserve turned up
in the village of Midania in impoverished Uttar Pradesh state after monsoon
flooding on Tuesday, officials said.
Anil Patel, an official responsible for the buffer zone around the Dudhwa
Tiger Reserve told AFP that the locals caught the croc and then demanded
50,000 Rupees (almost $700) to give it back.
“It took us hours to convince them with help from local police and
authorities to release the crocodile,” Patel said.
The villagers were also threatened with legal action, with officials
explaining that they risked being jailed for up to seven years.
The crocodile, Patel said, is free now. “We released it into the Ghagra
river the same day.”
“They had no idea that the crocodile was a protected animal under the
Wildlife Protection Act. It’s important for us to educate more people about
wildlife,” he added.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1911HRS