Two-foot-long baby crocodile spotted in civic-run swimming pool in Mumbai; rescued

A two-foot-long baby crocodile was found in a swimming pool of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the central suburb of Dadar here early on Tuesday, an official said.

A sanitation worker noticed the baby crocodile around 5.30 am while inspecting the Mahatma Gandhi Jaltaran Talao, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, before the facility was opened for use to the members, the civic body stated in a release.

The reptile was safely rescued with the help of experts, and the BMC will be handing it over to the forest department to be released into its natural habitat, it said.

"An investigation is underway to find out how the crocodile ended up in the swimming pool, and based on it, necessary action will be taken," deputy municipal commissioner Kishor Gandhi said in the release.

Sandeep Vaishampayan, the coordinator for the swimming pool and auditoriums, said that the civic body's concerned staffers inspect swimming pools every day before throwing them open to members.

"A crocodile was seen in the Olympic-size swimming pool in Dadar around 5.30 am," he said.

Immediate action was taken to capture the crocodile safely with the help of experts and the process is on to hand it over to the forest department, he said.