Mother battles crocodile, saves 5-year-old

LUCKNOW: A mother pitted against a crocodile, her five-year-old son in its jaws. A desperate fight in a village drain that lasted five minutes, every second a struggle between life and death. She struck, scratched, and pulled with such ferocity the 7-foot reptile gave way and slipped back into the nullah.

The drama unfolded on Monday evening at Dhakia village in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich when Veeru, playing near a nullah, was seized by a crocodile and dragged toward the water. His screams reached his mother Maya, 40. She ran and locked in battle with the reptile - known to have the strongest bite force of any living animal, allowing it to take down large prey and easily crush bone.

"Without thinking about my life, I jumped in," Maya said later. "The crocodile was pulling him down, but I held on with all my strength. I hit it, clawed at it, and refused to let go. I fought with everything I had. Finally, it released my child after a blow from an iron rod I had grabbed. My son survived and that is what matters."

Veeru suffered serious injuries. Maya came away bruised. Both were taken to a local health facility. Her son remains under treatment.

DFO Ram Singh Yadav assured the family a special operation would be launched to capture the crocodile, which has slipped back into the nullah. Fear now stalks Dhakia, around 150km north of Lucknow. Villagers are demanding barricades, patrols and nets.