FACT CHECK: Viral video of crocodile is from Karnataka, not Maharashtra
A crocodile walking on a road is viral on social media. Users claim that this incident took place in a residential area in Chiplun.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 11 Aug 2021 6:58 AM GMT
HYDERABAD: A crocodile walking on a road is viral on social media. Users claim that this incident took place in a residential area in Chiplun.
Facebook users claimed that the crocodile entered the "habitat region" in Chiplun, Maharashtra during the recent flood situation.
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FACT CHECK:
The video was not shot during the recent Maharashtra floods. The claim is false.
NewsMeter found a tweet by journalist Shiv Aroor from July 1 that indicates this incident took place in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district. "Beautiful big Mugger crocodile seen walking on the streets of Kogilabanna village in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district this morning," he tweeted.
NewsMeter searched for news reports on crocodile sightings in Uttara Kannada and found reports by The News Minute and India Today. It states that on July 1, a crocodile was spotted in Kogilabanna village in Uttara Kannada.
"The reptile is said to have made its way from the Kali River in Dandeli town, which is situated about 5 km from the village. Upon being notified by the local residents, Forest Department officials captured the animal and released it into the river", The News Minute reads.
India Today had also reported the incident in a video format.
It should be noted that sightings of crocodiles did take place in Chiplun town during recent floods. According to reports by Times of India and English Lokmat, due to severe flooding and overflowing rivers in Western Maharashtra and Konkan, crocodiles were spotted around villages and in residential localities. However, the viral video is not linked to this incident.
Evidently, a video from Karnataka was falsely shared as a crocodile in Maharashtra's Chiplun area.
Thus, the claim is false.
