KARACHI - A crocodile was killed near Chotiari Dam in Sanghar district by the people of Pakasri village due to lack of awareness, as the crocodile had been declared endangered, The Nation learnt on Saturday. Informed sources said that near Chotiari Dam, a natural habituate of crocodile is situated and it was the breeding season of crocodiles in which female crocodiles lay eggs away from their habitats. Sources said that some villagers saw the female crocodile, which was stated to be 9 feet long. Fear spread among the villagers that the crocodile would eat their animals and would also pose threat to their lives therefore, they killed it by gun shots. However, WWF is striving to educate and aware the people of Sindh through a programme Indus for all to save the endangered species and mangroves, but such type of events keep on happening in the past and still continuing. Muhammad Saleem Chand, doing MPhil from Jamshoro University and researching on crocodiles across the Sindh, confirmed that a female crocodile was killed by the villagers near Chotiari Dam in Pakasri village. He said that he visited the spot and saw the crocodile and confirmed that it was not in a position to be stuffed. Such type of events happened due to lack of awareness. Sources were of the view that lack of interest and lack of communication between the WWF and Sindh Wildlife department were the major causes of such losses. If the awareness campaign to be launched properly with the help of print and electronic media, the message of awareness will spread quickly. According to study report in Sindh, marsh crocodile is currently surviving in limited areas and few places along the coastal areas in Balochistan. According to the consolidated results, the estimated population of crocodiles is 492. However, only 164 were reportedly seen in Sindh. The estimated population in Balochistan was 64 while only 24 were observed. Chotiari reservoir and wetland ecosystem in Sanghar district of Sindh is known as home of marsh crocodile. Chotiari reservoir is formed by a ggroup of sub-tropical lakes. This reservoir is interconnected by several lakes including Baqar, Akanwari, Tajar, Phuleli, Seri and Sao Naro. These lakes are surrounded by the Nara Canal, which is the major source providing water to them. A considerable population of marsh crocodile was recorded in the Makli area in 1997, but they have become increasingly rare. The crocodiles were hunted by the local fishermen, who used to sell their skins in the market. They have stopped this practice now due to an international ban on the trade of crocodile skins.