India, Oct. 21 -- A nearly nine-foot-long mugger crocodile was rescued by forest officials after it was spotted near railway tracks in Rairakhol area of Odisha's Sambalpur district.

The crocodile was rescued near the Sambalpur-Talcher railway tracks at Patakhaman village under Kukudabahali gram panchayat in Rairakhol block.

The reptile was captured after an intensive three-and-a-half-hour operation involving forest personnel and Rapid Response Teams from Sambalpur and Angul.

According to reports, villagers first spotted the 8-foot-11-inch-long crocodile late on Monday night while it was crossing the railway tracks near Patakhaman. The sudden appearance of the large reptile in an area without any major river or stream nearby triggered ...