Farmers in India were so frustrated with local authorities cutting off electricity during the day, forcing them to risk working at night when they might be attacked by crocodiles, that they captured a live specimen and brought it to council offices to show the danger.

Severe droughts had caused the fields to dry out, and crops began withering in Vijayapura, in the Indian state of Karnataka.

But government-ordered load shedding has left farmers without three-phase electricity during the day, leaving them unable to water the dying crops.

Their only other choice is to do it at night, but these workers said it is challenging to navigate the fields in the dark while being exposed to snake and crocodile attacks at the same time.

As their frustration rose, they captured a live reptile that they spotted in a field at the Ronihala village and took it to the Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited (HESCOM) office on 19th October.

Phone footage shows several men offloading the crocodile that has been tied down with a rope from the back of a tractor while on the company’s premises.

The farmers apparently wanted to highlight that at night, the only time when they have electricity, crocodiles come to their fields, so they wanted the suppliers to face reality and took a crocodile to their office.

They reportedly demanded uninterrupted three-phase electricity during daylight hours to help save the crops.

HESCOM staff were startled by the crocodile’s unexpected appearance and immediately reached out to the Basavana Bagewadi forest department for assistance.

After some persuasion, the farmers agreed to let the creature go and it was subsequently released into a nearby river.