A crocodile lurking on the banks of the Old Kollidam at Perampattu near here is said to have dragged a man into the waters on Monday. Onlookers tried to scare the reptile by pelting stones but in vain. The fate of the man is not known. The attempts of fishermen who tried to trace him proved futile.
On information, personnel from the Annamalai Nagar Police Station and the Fire and Rescue Department along with Forest Department officials launched a search for the man.
Meanwhile, the police received a complaint stating that a 65-year-old resident of Vengayathalaimedu, who went to the river in the morning, did not return home. They are on the lookout of the man.
It has of late become a regular feature at Old Kollidam for crocodiles to attack those moving near the waterbody, sources said.
There are also reports of crocodiles stealthily crawling into the villages to prey on domestic animals such as goats, dogs and fowls.
Though the Forest Department have been issuing directives to those living on the banks of the river, to exercise caution and observe certain precautionary measures, people are yet to realise the gravity of the situation.
Forest officials say that the dumping of meat and other wastes in the river and allowing goats and sheep to wander close to the bank lure the reptiles to move towards human habitations.
