Crocodile Attacks, Kills Man Bathing Buffalo In River; Victim's Body Found

In a horrific incident, a crocodile attacked and killed a man herding cattle near a river in India. The victim's body was found by local residents.

The 55-year-old man left his home Sunday early morning with his cattle for grazing. While he was bathing one of his buffaloes, a crocodile leaped out and dragged the man into the water. The victim, identified as Golla Mallaiah, died by the time other cattle breeders rushed to save him, according to Tribune India.

The incident, which happened in a village in the state of Telangana, sparked panic among local residents. The body of the victim was retrieved and taken to his village.

"Forest and police officials rushed to the village to enquire into the incident," senior officer K Venkateshwarlu told local media. The victim's body was later sent for an autopsy.

Local residents said the construction of a dam across the Manjeera river displaced the natural habitat of many crocodiles in the area. The Manjira dam has a wildlife sanctuary for crocodile conservation, making it home to more than 500 crocodiles.

In January, a similar incident took place in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where a cattle herder was attacked and killed by a crocodile.

"Two persons who were at the spot saw the crocodile dragging the man into the river and informed the villagers. Locals later informed the forest department about the incident. We have already launched the search operation," an official said at the time.

There have been several such attacks in the country, and in most cases, the victims are cattle herders who take their animals to graze near rivers. In December 2020, a crocodile attacked a 10-year-old boy while he was drinking water from a river in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. The victim's torso was found two days after the attack.