Sangareddy: A 55-year-old cattle herder was killed by a crocodile on the banks of River Manjeera in Sangareddy district on Sunday evening. The man was identified as Golla Mallaiah, a native of Isojipet in Pulkal Mandal. The District Forest officials visited the village and came to know about the incident on Monday.

Mallaiah left his house with his cattle to the banks of the Manjeera River on Sunday morning. He took the cattle to graze on the grass of the river bank. A couple of buffaloes crossed the river to the other side. When Ramulu attempted to cross the river, a crocodile attacked him and dragged him into the water in the middle of the river. Mallaiah died by the time other cattle rearers rushed to the location to rescue him. Villagers recognized the slippers which were floating on the water, they could trace the body easily. The crocodile has eaten up parts of his neck and leg. The villagers have brought the body to Isojipet late on Sunday.

The forest staff led by Deputy Forest Range Officer Ravi Kumar inquired into the incident on Monday morning. The forest officials said as it was a breeding time for crocodiles in River Manjeera, they would attack menacingly.

The incident has brought great fear in the Sangareddy district. The family members performed the funeral on Monday without filing the case in Pulkal Police Station and also refused to take the body for postmortem. However, the forest officials have prepared a report to get some ex-gratia granted to the victim’s family.

Manjeera Dam, constructed across the River Manjeera near Sangareddy, was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary for Mugger Crocodiles a few years ago. Since the government has taken up the conservation of crocodiles in Manjeera Dam, it is now home to over 500 mugger crocodiles. The incident happened in the backwaters of the Manjeera dam. It is the first such death reported in the Sangareddy district over the last decade.