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A 60-year-old man in eastern India survived a harrowing saltwater crocodile attack by defending himself with quick thinking and determination. Madan Behera was gathering crabs in a creek within Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha, when the crocodile seized his legs and began dragging him underwater.
Behera, from Bankula village in the Dangamal forest range, fought back instinctively by poking the crocodile’s eyes and shouting for help. His efforts paid off when the reptile loosened its grip, allowing him to escape. He is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Kendrapara, the district headquarters.
Forest officials, however, noted that Behera was breaking the law by collecting crabs inside the protected park. Chitrasen Jena, the forest range officer for Bhitarkanika, emphasized that crab collecting is banned since crabs serve as an important food source for the crocodiles. Violators can face charges under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
This incident follows a recent fatal attack in the same region, where a 57-year-old fisherwoman, Hemalata Das, was killed by a crocodile while catching prawns in Galia Creek. Villagers managed to intervene by casting a fishing net over the crocodile, but Das sustained severe injuries to her legs, chest, and abdomen and did not survive.
Bhitarkanika National Park is home to one of the largest populations of saltwater crocodiles-the world’s biggest crocodile species. Despite the known dangers, locals frequently venture into the mangrove creeks to fish and collect crabs, underscoring the ongoing risks of human-wildlife encounters in the area.