Bhubaneswar, Oct. 20 -- A crocodile was spotted near a railway track close to Patakhaman village in Odisha's Sambalpur district on Monday evening. The crocodile sighting triggered panic among local residents.

The reptile, estimated to be around seven to eight feet long, was seen in the Rairakhol block area.

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After spotting the crocodile, villagers alerted the Forest Department. Following which the officials reached the area and launched a search operation to locate and rescue the reptile.

According to local resident Raju Pradhan, he spotted the crocodile between 8 pm and 9 pm while returning from his agricultural field.

"I spotted the crocodile...