Khan Jahan Ali shrine's crocodiles shifted to wildlife center

The crocodile rescued from the pond adjacent to the historic Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali (RA) shrine in Bagerhat has been shifted to the Khulna Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. The crocodile was taken there on Wednesday afternoon.

Nirmal Kumar Pal, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Khulna Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, said that the crocodile was brought to the center around 1:15pm for observation. He said that a joint team from the Forest Department, Rehabilitation Center and Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Center, with the help of the Bagerhat district administration, rescued the crocodile around 1:15pm and sent it to Khulna.

The DFO also said that after four to seven days of intensive observation at the center, the government will decide where to keep the crocodile. Khulna Conservator of Forests Imran Khan, officials of the Forest Department and representatives of the Bagerhat district administration were present during the handover.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, DFO of the West Sundarbans division, said that a special team comprising forest officials and employees and the local administration rescued the crocodile this morning and sent it to Khulna. He said that the team will monitor the behavior and physical condition of the crocodile as well as evaluate the technical aspects required for its management and permanent residence.

Earlier, the Bagerhat district administration decided to remove the crocodile from the pond considering the safety of visitors and devotees. This decision was taken in an emergency meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner's conference room at 10pm on Tuesday, which was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Golam Mohammad Baten. After the meeting, he said that after the recent tragic incident, the safety of visitors in the shrine area is being given utmost importance and security and surveillance in the area is being increased along with the removal of the crocodile.

It is worth noting that seven-year-old Fatema Akhter was attacked by a crocodile while taking a bath in a pond adjacent to the shrine around 8:30pm on Monday. According to eyewitnesses, the crocodile grabbed her leg and dragged her under the water. Her body was recovered from the women's ghat area of ​​the pond on Tuesday morning. After this incident, anxiety and panic spread among local residents and visitors.