Boy saves uncle from crocodile attack in Odisha

Kendrapara: A 12-year-old boy from a remote village in Odisha's Kendrapara district has shown exemplary courage and presence of mind to save his uncle from a crocodile, a forest official said Kendrapara on Thursday.

The survivor, Binod Mallick, a 26-year-old fisherman from Kandira village of the district, suffered multiple injuries on his hand and thigh in the attack and is undergoing treatment at a government-run hospital in Rajnagar, he said.

Recalling the harrowing experience, Mallick said the crocodile attacked him when he entered a creek with his nephew Shiku, on Tuesday. He also thanked Shiku for his timely action. "Shiku showed his presence of mind and drove the reptile away," Mallick said. The attack was sudden and there was little time to think, the 12-year-old boy recalled. "As we entered into creek, a crocodile leaped from the water and attacked my uncle. I tried to distract the crocodile with torchlight and hit it with a bamboo stick on its head. It soon unfastened its grip on my uncle and beat a hasty retreat," he said.

The state forest department is bearing the cost of Mallick's treatment, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya, said. "The department has also decided to award compensation to the injured person's family," he said.

The official, however, noted that villagers here often risk their lives by venturing into crocodile-infested creeks and rivulets. "The forest department has initiated a series of measures to save humans from crocodiles. Over two dozen riverside spots were identified as danger zones because of frequent sighting of reptiles in these places. Warning has also been issued to the local people," he added.

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