Giant crocodile rescued by Wildlife officials in Sri Lanka.
A giant crocodile measuring 17 feet and weighing close to 2,000 pounds was discovered Monday stuck in a canal in the southern city of Matara in Sri Lanka, according to India’s NewsX Bureau and Reuters.
The crocodile, said to be the largest in Sri Lanka, was believed to be searching for food when it became trapped in a canal off the Nilawala River after water levels in the river rose following heavy rains, the Daily Mirror reported.
The video report by Reuters above and part of the rescue video by the Daily Mirror below give an idea to the crocodile’s size.
“We found a similar size crocodile four, five months back in the Polathumordara River,” environmentalist Uppala Jayatissa told local TV stations. “This is the maximum these type of crocodiles grow [at least in Sri Lanka].”
Ultimately, Sri Lanka wildlife officials used an excavator and truck to return the giant crocodile back into the river.
“With the help of the villagers and the police we achieved what we wanted, which was to send the crocodile back to where he came from without hurting him in any way,” wildlife department official Ravindra Kumar said. “The reptile was too big to move out of here on its own.”
The largest crocodile captured alive was Lolong, which measured 20.2 feet and weighed 2,370 pounds. The Guinness World Records called the since-deceased reptile the “world’s biggest crocodile in captivity.” It’s been reported that crocodiles can grow to 23 feet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q_VE-lhzig
