Gujarat man opens bathroom door late at night, finds 7-foot crocodile inside

A Gujarat man was woken up by dogs barking continuously outside his house late at night. He went to check the bathroom, only to come face-to-face with a 7-foot crocodile.Gujarat man opens bathroom door late at night, finds 7-foot crocodile insideA family was horrified after they discovered a 7-foot crocodile inside the bathroom of their home in Gujarat's Anand district.The incident occurred earlier this week as officials said the crocodile entered the bathroom of Balabhai Chauhan's house while his family was asleep.Balabhai was woken up by dogs barking continuously outside his house late at night. He went to check the bathroom, only to come face-to-face with the massive reptile.The sight of the crocodile triggered panic inside the house, prompting the family to immediately inform the forest department. Soon after, a rescue team led by forest guards Nilesh Bharwad and Manish Prajapati reached the spot along with Daya Foundation president Nitesh Chauhan and volunteer Tushar Rana. Following nearly an hour of strenuous efforts, the team safely captured the crocodile without causing any harm to it.The reptile was later released into a pond nearby. "After receiving information from the forest department, our team reached the spot. We rescued the 7-foot crocodile and safely released it into a pond,” Nitesh Chauhan said.Forest department officials said that such incidents become more common during the monsoon as rising water levels in ponds and other water bodies force crocodiles out of their natural habitat. In search of food and to regulate their body temperature, the reptiles often venture into nearby residential areas.Officials said the pond at nearby Malataj village is home to more than 100 crocodiles, increasing the likelihood of the animals entering roads and human settlements during periods of flooding.In view of the growing risk, the forest department has urged residents to remain cautious at night, avoid venturing out unnecessarily, drive slowly on roads, and immediately inform authorities if they spot a crocodile instead of attempting to approach or disturb it.- Ends(With inputs from Hetali M Shah)Published On: Jul 31, 2026 12:41 IST