Kendrapara, June 15: A 10-year-old boy was allegedly killed by a crocodile in Odisha's Kendrapara district, police said on Thursday. The crocodile pounced upon Ashutosh Acharya, a class 5 student, when he was bathing in the Brahmani river at Nimapur village, which is on the outskirts of the Bhitarkanika National Park, they said.

The half-eaten body of the boy was found by locals after an hour-long search, said an officer of the Pattamundai police station, where the incident happened on Wednesday.  Crocodile Attack in Rajasthan: Elderly Man Attacked, Dragged by Alligator Into Chambal River in Dholpur, Locals Jump Into Water to Rescue Him.

The nesting season of salt-water crocodiles is in full swing at present, and they turn violent if they fear any interference in their habitation during this time, said officials of the Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) forest division.

The family of the deceased would be given Rs 6 lakh as ex-gratia, they said. The Bhitarkanika National Park and the adjoining Mahanadi deltaic region are home to 1,793 saltwater crocodiles, they added. Crocodile Attack in Goa: 45-Year-Old Woman Killed by Crocodile at Amthane Dam.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)