Villagers near Meliganur, Nagaladinne, in Nandavaram mandal dragged a mugger crocodile out of the shrinking Tungabhadra and beat it with sticks and tied it with a rope a few days ago. The forest department has since warned people along the river to leave the animals alone. As the water level drops, more of them are coming out.

Kurnool District Forest Officer P. Shyamala said poor rainfall had lowered the Tungabhadra river, and a crocodile was spotted near Naguladinne a couple of days ago. A video that went viral on social media showed some villagers attempting to drag the crocodile out of the water and beating it with sticks, she said.

The DFO asked people to stay alert, for their own safety and the animals. Crocodiles are protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, she said, and must not be harmed in any way. Do not drag them out of the water, beat them with sticks, pelt stones, chase them or harass them in any other way, she said.

“Causing harm to crocodiles is a punishable offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and it attracts imprisonment of seven years,” she said.

People should not go near the animal, try to catch or drag it out, or chase it away, the DFO said. They should call forest officials at once. The Kurnool Range Forest Officer can be reached on 8332959889, the Adoni range forest office on 9703554453, the deputy range officer, Kurnool, on 9985301257, and the Adoni section forest officer on 7989142039.

The Healing And Nurturing Units for Monitoring, Aid and Nursing of Wildlife (HANUMAN) of the State forest department recently rescued a mugger crocodile stranded in a shallow stretch of the Tungabhadra by the falling water. Veterinary doctors examined it, and it was released back into the river where the flow was adequate.