PALIA KALAN, KOMPAS.com – Villagers of India north caught a crocodile and made him a prisoner, then demanded a ransom from the police if he wanted the reptile to be released.
Locals found the crocodile while hiding in a pond.
Reported AFP on Saturday (12/09/2020), the reptile measures 2 meters long and comes from a nearby nature reserve.
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Crocodile It was found in the village of Midania, Uttar Pradesh state, after flooding due to monsoon rains on Tuesday (9/8/2020), authorities said.
Anil Patel, an officer in charge of the buffer zone around the Dudhwa Tiger Nature Reserve, explained to AFP, villagers catch the crocodile and ask for a ransom of 50,000 rupees (Rp 10.2 million) to return it to the habitat.
“It took us hours to convince them, with the help of the police and local authorities, to release the crocodile,” Patel said.
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Villagers were also threatened with legal action, with officials explaining that they could be jailed for up to 7 years.
Patel continued, the crocodile was free now.
“We released it to the Ghagra River on the same day.”
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“They don’t know crocodiles are protected animals under the Wildlife Protection Act.”
“It’s important for us to educate more people about wildlife,” he added.
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