Crocodile attacks near a river in India have left locals living in "constant fear," according to a news report.
In an attack along the Kali River, in India's Uttara Kannada district on Thursday, a man was dragged under the water by a crocodile while swimming, Newsroom Odisha reported.
Police said that locals witnessed the incident. It is unclear if the attack was fatal, and authorities have yet to identify the victim.
Without identifying an individual, Newsroom Odisha reported of locals saying, "We live in constant fear," that the "safety of children is also endangered," and that local officials haven't done enough to address the problem.
The crocodiles have recently come into villages, entering homes and eating livestock, per the outlet.
The New Indian Express reported in June that three people have died from crocodile attacks in the Kali River this year—with the local forest department putting up caution boards to warn visitors of the animals.
"Besides tourists, several devotees come to Kali River to offer prayers. Be it final rites, or rituals involving immersion while visiting a temple that is along the Kali River, many times they risk their lives by going too close to the water or sometimes they even step inside the river for a short distance without knowing the current and threat of crocodiles," an official from Haliyal Forest Division told the newspaper at the time.
"The boards will alert the people about possible crocodile presence in the area," the official added.
Newsweek has reached out to officials in Uttara Kannada and the forest division for comment.
There had been recent cases involving interactions between large reptiles and humans. In a separate incident in Australia last month, a man fought a crocodile with a knife while it held his friend's head in its jaws. The two men were crew members of a tour operator, and they weren't with any guests when the attack occurred.
In July, an alligator in Florida "roared" at sheriff's deputies as they attempted to remove it from a homeowner's property.
"Earlier this week, deputies responded to a home on Oakland Hills Place in Rotonda around 1 in the morning after the homeowner found a gator underneath their Jeep," the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said in a statement at the time.
It added that they were called to respond to the incident after the "11' 2" gator took out the homeowner's light pole."
Also in July, a woman in Florida died after she fell into a pond and was attacked by two alligators.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said the two animals attacked the woman as she tried to stay afloat in the water, which was located at a country club.
About the writer
Xander Landen is a Newsweek weekend reporter. His focus is often U.S. politics, but he frequently covers other issues including ... Read more
