Screenshot of the video showing the forest official carrying the crocodile.
A Uttar Pradesh man has gone viral after he was spotted carrying a massive, 20-foot-long, 150-kg live crocodile on his shoulder, much to the amazement of the onlookers. The footage shared widely on social media, showed the man, believed to be a forest department official, carrying the crocodile that had terrorised the villagers for the last three weeks. Fearing another attack from the crocodile, the villagers called the forest officials who managed to usher the reptile away.
Notably, the crocodile was first spotted in the Pauthiyakhurd village, located within Hamirpur district, in a pond about a month ago. Villagers coming to the pond for water were forced to seek alternatives as the crocodile ascertained its territory.
After being called in, the forest officials tracked the movement of the crocodile over several days before hatching the plan to capture it and relocate it elsewhere, with the cooperation of villagers.
"The video of a young man carrying a crocodile on his shoulder is rapidly going viral on social media. A giant crocodile had been terrorising the village for the past three weeks," read the caption of the post that shared the daring rescue.
"After three weeks of close monitoring, the forest department team and experts caught the crocodile," it added.
Also Read | Watch: Man Puts Hand Inside Crocodile's Mouth And Instantly Regrets It
Before carrying the crocodile on his shoulders, the forest department official tied the reptile's mouth and limbs with cloth and rope. After rescuing the crocodile, it was then released into the wilderness.
According to reports, the Yamuna River was chosen as the suitable habitat for the crocodile as it could live safely there without posing a threat to nearby communities. Despite the bravery of the forest official, social media users questioned the authorities for not providing proper gear and resources to the man who had to risk his life for the rescue operation.