KARACHI: A marsh crocodile was caught by locals at Kuntani Hor near Dashat River, north of Jiwani in Balochistan.
According to a communique here on Sunday, the crocodile was later tied to a wooden pole awaiting its release further north.
It is 20 km north of Jiwani town off the Balochistan coast. Crocodiles are known from many coastal rivers along the Balochistan coast, including the Hub River, Hingol River, Basul River, and Dashat River (along the Balochistan border).
Very large crocodiles are known from these rivers, and it is not uncommon to see crocodiles of 4 meters or more. Marsh crocodiles scientifically known as Crocodylus palustris are known to be distributed from southern Iran to the Indian subcontinent.
Usually, the local community does not disturb these crocodiles along rivers of Sindh and Balochistan, rather these animals are respected and even considered to be of religious importance, like Muggar of Mango Pir. In some rare cases, if they appear near residential areas of the local communiti
es, they are harmed and threatened, but in most cases, these are caught and released at appropriate places.
In Dashat River, this mugger crocodile is found downstream of Mirani Dam but seldom reaches near the sea area like Kuntani.
According to Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor, WWF-Pakistan, the population of crocodiles is extremely limited in the rivers of Balochistan, the largest population exists in the Hingol and Basul rivers.
A team has been dispatched to Kuntani and approached the Balochistan Wildlife Department to take immediate action for the rescue of this crocodile.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan further shared that there is a need to create awareness among local communities about protecting the population of crocodiles in Pakistan.
Globally, marsh crocodile is considered to be vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, but the population of crocodiles faces serious threats in Pakistan because of their small size and wide distribution in harsh e
nvironments.