Vadodara: Even tough-skinned crocodiles of the Vishwamitri have not been spared damage from glass-coated kite string (manja) this Uttarayan, highlighting the growing danger kite string poses not just to birds and humans, but to large reptiles as well.A video shot recently by MS University students in the Vishwamitri river showed a kite string embedded deep in the back of a crocodile, having cutting through its scutes (armoured scales). Blood was seen oozing from the wound as the reptile moved through the water.“I was shocked as I never saw a kite string cut into a crocodile. The eight-foot reptile must have been in pain as it was a flesh wound. It shows how dangerously sharp these kite strings are,” said Prof Ranjit Devkar of MS University’s zoology department. He and his students saw the crocodile from the cable-stayed bridge during their regular bird walk in Sayajibaug.Devkar warned that while crocodile wounds usually heal quickly, the embedded string could lead to infection and in extreme cases, prove fatal. “It’s a matter of concern,” he said, adding that he informed the forest department after the injured crocodile disappeared into the river.Vishwamitri is home to over 442 crocodiles, most of them in the river’s urban stretch. Officials said nearly 160 birds and 14 people suffered grievous injuries in and around the city due to manja this Uttarayan.
