NEW KERALA (India) 01 February 05 Crocodile numbers up in Orissa, says census
Bhubaneswar (Indo-Asian News Service): There is good news for wildlife enthusiasts. The population of crocodiles in Orissa's famous Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary has gone up to 1,449 from last year's 1,358.
The state forest and wildlife department and environmentalists jointly conducted a census between Jan 10 and Jan 20 in the sanctuary, which is home to the largest population of giant saltwater crocodiles in India.
The survey revealed that the number of crocodiles has gone up. "We found as many as 54 crocodile nesting sites with 50 to 60 eggs spotted by the forest officials," state wildlife department chief S.C. Mohanty said Tuesday.
He said the department also had a large number of new baby crocodiles. "We had kept about 200 eggs at Dangmal crocodile breeding centre within the sanctuary area, of which about 127 have hatched," he said.
Saltwater crocodiles are carnivorous scavengers. They live mainly on fish but also feed on carcasses flowing into the area from nearby human habitations and occasionally on cattle and deer.
Located near the Sunderbans in West Bengal, Bhitarkanika is spread over an area of 670 sq km. It has the second largest mangrove ecosystem in India and houses some 215 species of birds and animals, including eight varieties of kingfishers.
The Gahirmatha beach in Bhitarkanika is one of the largest breeding grounds for the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.
Crocodile numbers up in Orissa, says census