A crocodile was captured and subsequently rescued by the forest department after it was spotted near a temple, in central India's Madhya Pradesh.

This incident happened in Patiala panchayat in Singoli, Neemuch district on January 1.

Visuals showed a forest department official attempting to capture the crocodile. The official held out a stick which had a noose at one end and with that, he attempted to tie a rope around the crocodile's body and drag it out of the area where it was seen. The reptile resisted but the official managed to achieve success after a while. He then dragged the crocodile out and later, tied it around while also putting a sack around its head so that it could not bite.

As per a report, the crocodile was spotted by locals near the Modeshwar Mahadev temple. The devotees, who had come to the temple to offer their prayers, were left shocked when they saw the crocodile roaming about in a dry area in search of food. Later, villagers also said that the crocodile was spotted earlier in the area as well. The forest department was subsequently informed about this reptile and they arrived at the spot. With the help of the villagers, the forest department captured the crocodile and later, released it safely in the Chambal river.