Crocodiles are one of the oldest living creatures on earth, they have existed for centuries, even lived along dinosaurs! Amazing adaptations like their bulletproof skin or enormous jaws give them a formidable appearance.
The Vishwamitri river flowing through the Vadodara city is home to Marsh crocodiles that are locally called ‘mugger’. Muggers have lived in synchrony with localites of the city for as long as the river has flown through it.
Instances of human-crocodile encounters that turned fatal have also occurred but this is mainly during the breeding season of the crocodiles, at this time the otherwise calm reptiles are highly territorial. Crocodiles do not purposely enter human settlement, the confrontations are either due to human negligence and encroachment or due to flooding which causes the wild to get pushed into the city by water currents.
After media reports of human-crocodile conflict there is a lot of hue and cry about the dangers of crocodiles which leads to false assumptions amongst the general public.The attack is reported but several times crucial information like the fact that the victim had invaded the crocodile territory is omitted.
There are several places in the world where crocodiles live very close to human settlement, yet they are not feared. It was reported that Colombia’s wildlife conservation efforts have led to the discovery of the largest population of the species of American crocodiles, in the region.
In 2009 Houston chronicle reported that the residents of Mexico city coexist with crocodiles.“They've gone from being just one more inhabitant of the lagoon to being icons of the city,” said Mario Castellanos, a municipal biologist.“What we are trying to do, is provide them with security” he said.
Closer to home, in the Malataj village of Anand, it's not unusual to see women going about their usual chores and children playing by the pond that is full of crocodiles. "We are aware that the crocodiles are shy creatures. Like other reptiles, they are also harmless if not disturbed," said Malataj sarpanch, Durgesh Patel. Patel, 38, even doubles up as crocodile rescuer in this village.Wildlife experts suggest that in last thirty years, there have been only four instances of human-crocodile conflict in Charotar region comprising of Anand and Kheda districts. Of these four incidents, only one had turned fatal.
Taking inspiration from these examples we must start respecting the reptiles that chosen our city as their home. These crocodiles are a part of a self sustaining river system and the absence of them can lead to disastrous consequences. Building crocodile parks or shifting them out of the city cannot be the answer. But instead, educating the localites about their nature, forbidding construction on reclaimed land along the river basin and encroachment on the river and reducing waste disposal along river sides, these are certain steps needed for the protection of localites as well as the crocodiles. These crocodiles should be made the pride of the city as they are as much deserving citizens of Vadodara as we are. I propose that we make these crocodiles the mascot of our city, leading to its protection and pride amongst people. 