A giant crocodile was spotted on the Kukkarahalli Lake bund in the heart of the city on the Masanagangotri campus here on Thursday morning.
It was after several years that the marsh crocodile or the mugger had been spotted on the lake precincts, reaffirming the presence of crocodiles in the lake.
Measuring about 10 ft, the crocodile was noticed on the lake bund towards the university side.
As the news spread, people gathered in large numbers at the spot and a few of them tried to throw stones and sticks at the crocodile.
Personnel from the Police and Forest departments rushed to the spot and made efforts to disperse the crowd after Vice-Chancellor of the university V.G. Talwar's intervention.
After the people dispersed, the crocodile gently crossed the joggers' path and entered the lake. “It might have come out of the lake to lay eggs,” sources in the Forest Department said.
The university authorities called the zoo officials to rush to the spot and make arrangements to rescue the reptile. But the zoo authorities told them that the reptile would go back to the lake if it was not disturbed. Rightly, the crocodile slipped into the water after some time.
In the past too, crocodiles were sighted at the lake and also at the Karanji Lake near the zoo.
Unlike the Karanji Lake, crocodile sightings are rare at the Kukkarahalli Lake.
