Crocodile caught in residential area near Chidambaram

Local young men managed to catch the reptile and handed it over to the Forest Department

The young men handed over the crocodile to the Forest Department for safe release

A four-foot-long crocodile that strayed into Nallampattinam near Chidambaram late on Thursday was trapped by a few young men and handed over to the Forest Department for safe release.

According to Forest Department sources, the village is close to the banks of the Vellaru River. It is believed that the reptile strayed from the river and got stranded near the residential neighbourhood.

Local youth from the village spotted the crocodile at around 11.15 p.m. and immediately alerted the Forest Department staff.

The reptile was trapped by the youth who managed to bound its snout with a thick rope and handed it over to the Forest Department. It was later transported and safely released into the Vakkiramari lake in Chidambaram, which is a habitat for such reptiles.