Champaran: A farmer in Bihar was seriously injured after being attacked by a crocodile that emerged from a drain in West Champaran district on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred in the flood-prone region near the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), where wild animals are often displaced during the monsoon season.
The victim, Umesh Ram, a 38-year-old resident of Bishunpurwa village, had gone to inspect his paddy and sugarcane crops in the fields near the Harha drain in Mahipur Bhatauda Panchayat. According to eyewitnesses and family members, Ram had stopped near the drain when he was suddenly attacked by a crocodile lying in wait.
The reptile reportedly clamped onto Ram’s left leg and attempted to drag him into the water. However, the farmer managed to resist, raising the alarm and struggling free. Nearby farmers rushed to his aid and called his family. He was initially taken to a local sub-divisional hospital, where doctors administered first aid.
Dr Vinay Kumar, who treated Ram, said the crocodile had torn flesh from nearly a foot-long section of his leg. Given the severity of the injuries, Ram was referred to GMCH Bettiah for advanced treatment.
Local residents, including Ram’s mother Biafi Devi and neighbours Vijay Kumar and Vishwajit Chaudhary, said such encounters are becoming more frequent during the rainy season as animals are displaced from their natural habitats near VTR in search of higher ground.
