The Forest Department on Tuesday rescued a saltwater crocodile from a pond in Rampal of Bagerhat and released it back into the wild in the Sundarbans.
Azad Kabir, an officer-in-charge of the Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre in the eastern part of the mangrove forests, said that they had rescued the crocodile from Srirambha village after being informed through Deputy Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar.
The crocodile, aged around 15, got there through the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans, he said.
Later, the 10-foot-long crocodile was released in a river of the Sundarbans in the morning.
On March 11, another saltwater crocodile was captured by fishermen while they were netting in the Bhaga area of Rampal and released it in the Sundarbans.
Azad Kabir said that the number of crocodiles in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans was on the rise in recent years. “They roam in different rivers and canals of the forest and can go elsewhere while floating.”
According to the Forest Department, 206 saltwater crocodiles, born at the Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre in the Sundarbans, have been released into the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans. At present, there are 92 crocodiles of different ages at the centre, which is a tourist destination.