Almost 10ft crocodile rescued from bullet train project site

Reptile had fallen down a pit dug for a railway track pillar near a river known for its large crocodile population

A 9.5-feet crocodile that had fallen into a deep pit at a bullet train construction site in the western Indian state of Gujarat was rescued as a large crowd gathered to witness the hours-long operation.

The crocodile had fallen down an almost 30ft-deep pit dug for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project near the Vishwamitri river, known for its large crocodile population.

Hemant Vadhwana, a local wildlife activist, said he went to the site after construction workers reported that a crocodile, estimated to weigh nearly 150kg, was trapped in a pit for an under-construction pillar in Maretha village on Monday.

A forest department team arrived soon after and deployed a crane to lift the reptile out, he said.

"The pillar is along the Vishwamitri and the crocodiles tend to stray into the site," Mr Vadhwana told The Indian Express.

Gujarat crocodile (DeshGujarat Local/ YouTube)

“This is the second rescue in a short span. When we received the call and reached the spot, we realised that the only way out was to lift it with the help of a hydraulic crane. Accordingly, after about two hours of hard work, we were able to fasten a grip on the crocodile and pull it out with the help of the crane.”

An eyewitness told local news outlet Desh Gujarat that the reptile appeared to “travel through the air” as it was being lifted out.

The crocodile was taken away by the forest department team.

In September, a 15-year-old girl died in neighbouring Rajasthan state after a crocodile dragged her into a river, police said. The girl was taking water from the river when she was attacked by the crocodile and pulled in.

Some villagers working in nearby fields saw the attack and rushed to her aid. Several took boats into the river in an attempt to scare the animal away and free the girl, but their efforts proved unsuccessful.