Cattle herder killed in crocodile attack in Telangana

A 45-year-old man, identified as Golla Ramulu, was killed by a crocodile in Telangana’s Sangareddy district on Sunday. The victim was fatally attacked by the crocodile in the Manjira river, when he had taken cattle to the water body to wash them. The incident took place between 11.30 am and noon, police said.

The deceased hailed from Esojipeta village in Pulkal mandal. The police said no complaint has been filed, as the victim’s family has not come forward.

According to local reports, Ramulu did not notice the crocodile approaching him. Caught unaware, Ramulu was dragged into the water by the animal and attacked. Reportedly, some of the villagers tried to save Ramulu by striking the crocodile with lathis. The villagers later recovered his body from the river.

A crocodile was spotted in Manjira river near Pasalwadi last year. After being alerted to the presence of the crocodile, forest department officials cautioned villagers nearby.The Manjira dam has a wildlife sanctuary for crocodile conservation.

As of 2017, the crocodiles in the sanctuary were recorded at 171.

In a similar incident of crocodile attack which took place last year, a 10-year-old boy in the neighbouring state of Karnataka was mauled to death. The incident took place in Raichur district. The boy, who was herding cows, went to Krishna river’s shore to drink water and the crocodile dragged him away. Though his friends raised an alarm, the victim could not be saved. The victim was identified as Mallikarjun, a native of D Rapura village.