NEW KERALA (India) 13 December 05 Daring youths catch crocodile
Kochi (Kerala)[ IANS]: A group of 10 youths Tuesday caught a crocodile that had been the cause of sleepless nights for local residents after it got trapped in a pond on the outskirts of this city.
The youths succeeded where forest department and police officials had failed since Dec 7, when the crocodile was first sighted in the pond. It is still not known how the animal entered the water body.
On Tuesday morning, the youths armed with just a huge net entered the pond and bagged the animal after chasing it around for a few hours.
Giving them full support in their endeavour were hundreds of curious onlookers, including ladies and children who cheered them loudly.
The youths also had a person ready with a tranquilliser gun in case the crocodile managed to get out of the pond.
By around 3 p.m. the crocodile was trapped and the youths pulled it to the side of the pond. After ensuring that the animal's mouth was tied shut firmly, the youths carried away the crocodile on their shoulders amidst shouts and cheers from the people.
Later, the animal was put in an iron cage and transported to a nearby zoo.
Two of the youths, however, were injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. Reports said their injuries were not serious.
Meanwhile, local residents have decided to rename the pond as "Muthalakulam", a combination of the Malayalam words for crocodile
Daring youths catch crocodile