A crocodile that managed to escape a nature reserve in Uttar Pradesh, a northern state in India, found itself in deep water after accidentally ending up in a remote village.
The crocodile did its best to keep a low profile, however, the villagers spotted it.
Initially, the reptile managed to scare them but after it got caught, the crocodile was held as a hostage.
The villagers reportedly demanded money from the authorities.
Anil Patel, an official responsible for the buffer zone around the state’s Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, said that locals caught the crocodile and ended up demanding Rs50,000 to return it to the reserve.
Authorities ended up negotiating with the village officials and told them that it is illegal to hold a crocodile as a hostage in India.
The police and other authorities were also called at the scene to get the crocodile released.
It was later reported that the villagers had no idea that the crocodile was a protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act in India.
In India, you can spend 7 years in captivity for holding a crocodile in captivity.
The crocodile was rescued and was released it into the Ghagra river the same day