Vadodara: Every rainy season, the Vadodara Central Jail faces a unique challenge from reptiles. Not many would believe that crocodiles and snakes crawl into the jail compound during monsoons.Nestled along the banks of the crocodile-infested Vishwamitri river, the jail has to brace up for these unusual visitors. Such is the scare that the jail authorities have added an extra layer of security to keep these reptiles away. “We have installed a sturdy iron mesh on the main gate of the jail to keep the crocodiles at bay,” said the jail’s DySP S P Chaudhary.The move came after a crocodile sneaked through the thick iron bars of the main gate and crawled up to a desk in the jail premises two years ago. The guards on duty had no clue how to handle the reptile. The iron mesh has given relief to the guards posted on the main gate but that’s not enough.The guards have also been asked to keep a watchful eye not only near the prison walls but also on the spacious grounds around the jail, especially when the river water swells during the monsoon. Wildlife activists say that crocodiles venture out of the river to avoid the heavy flow and look for other water bodies. A crocodile can crawl several kilometres in a few hours during the night when humans are off the roads.The jail officials said they have also installed iron meshes on the drains that take the floodwater out of the jail. “But when it rains, we have to sometimes open the drain cover to ensure quick outflow of the water. Crocodiles manage to sneak in during this period and enter the jail,” said an official. Every monsoon, four to five crocodiles sneak close to the jail premises in the city.