Kendrapada only district in India to boast of all 3 crocodile species

KENDRAPADA: Odisha’s Kendrapada emerged as the only district in the country that is home to all the three species of crocodile after forest officials found a baby gharial in the river system on Sunday. Thus, Kendrapada now has gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), mugger (Crocodylus palustris) and saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).
Bhitarkanika National Park in the district is home to salt-water crocodiles. “On October 25, 2016, we had rescued a 12-foot mugger from the fishing net in the river Luna, and on August 29 this year, a baby gharial was caught in the river Paika,” said J D Pati, the Divisional Forest Officer of Bhitarkanika National Park.
“Before Sunday, a live gharial, a highly endangered species, has never been sighted in the river system in the district. The carcass of a nine-foot gharial was found in the river Luna near Jamapada village in the district on August 22 last year, added Pati.
“Odisha is the only state to have all the three crocodile species,” added the forest officer.
According to Pati, crocodilians became threatened in India due to its indiscriminate killing for commercial purposes and also habitat loss until the enactment of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. All three species of crocodiles were on the verge of extinction by the seventies. Piecemeal efforts were being made from the sixties onwards to save the crocodile. FAO expert Dr H R Bustard, engaged by the UNDP/FAO and government, studied the prospects of crocodile rehabilitation, and based on his report and guidance a “Crocodile Conservation Project” was launched in 1975 in different states. The gharial and saltwater crocodile conservation programme was first implemented in Odisha in early 1975 and subsequently, the mugger conservation programme was initiated. The funds and technical support for the project came from UNDP/ FAO through the government.
“The Ramatirtha centre, meant for mugger crocodiles within Similipal, initially started with eggs and hatchlings procured from Tamil Nadu. Since 1984, muggers have been bred and the young ones released into the wild in Similipal. So far, over 600 crocodiles have been released,” added the forest officer.
A gharial project was started at Tikarpada of Angul district in 1975 with the aim to increase their population as they are not considered as dangerous as the other crocodiles.
“In 1975, the Ministry of Forest and Environment in collaboration with UNDP had started a crocodile breeding and rearing project in Dangamala within Bhitarkanika park. Known as the biggest success story of salt-water crocodile conservation in the country, relentless efforts put in by the authorities have witnessed an increase in numbers in Bhitarkanika from just about 96 in 1974 to 1,768 in January,” added the forest officer.
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