CHENNAI: A one-and-half-feet baby
crocodile
was spotted on Monday evening at the
Perungalathur
Road, where few weeks ago, a seven-ft crocodile was spotted and captured.
The crocodile was spotted by forest officers in the evening and they captured it at 10pm. "It was taken to the
Guindy National Park
where the sub-adult crocodile captured last week is kept as well," said
E Prasanth
, wildlife warden for the city.
Officials said this is a mugger-breed crocodile found in marshy areas. This is the fifth such crocodile spotted in Perungalathur, and it can live in the lakes there. "It's a newly born crocodile. Mugger breed are common species and they are highly adaptable," said Prasanth.
Earlier, the seven-feet long mugger crocodile came out of the Perungalathur lake after cyclone Michaung, and was found walking on the road. Though it returned to the lake by itself, a week later it resurfaced, only to be trapped and taken to the zoo.
Officials said city suburbs were largely wetlands and such crocodiles might have come out of lakes due to flooding and widespread inundation. They said these are non-harmful and shy species which would not cause harm to humans.