Kendrapada:The population of Estuarine crocodiles is on a marginal rise at Bhitarkanika National park as evident from status survey of Estuarine crocodile 2023.
The survey was conducted from January 9 to January 11 in which as many as 1793 Estuarine crocodiles were spotted in and outside the water bodies of Rajnagar Mangrove forest Division(wildlife).
According to DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove forest Division (Wildlife ) Gopinath Sudarshan Yadav about 1,784 crocodiles were sighted at Bhitarkanika National park area during 2022- headcount drive.
Out of 1793 estuarine crocodiles 569 hatchlings, 388 yearlings,325 juveniles,166 sub-adults and 345 adult crocodiles were spotted as per the status survey report ,the DFO said.
The enumerators also sighted four albinos in the wild ,besides 46-years old captive albino Gori and 14 years old another captive albino, during the headcount drive of crocodile 2022 at Bhitarkanika national park, added forest official sources.
As many as 1417 Saltwater crocodiles were found ,habitating within Dangamala scheme pond and also at Kanika wildlife Range.
Three Estuarine crocodiles each measuring more than 20 feet and between 18 to 20 feet long, 14 crocodiles measuring 16 to 18 feet long were spotted during the headcount drive of Estuarine crocodiles in Kanika range, official sources said..
Official source said 22 enumerator teams, consisting of wildlife personnel, crocodile experts and researchers, divided into 54 segments comprising of creeks, creek lets, rivers and nallahs of in and outside Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and Mahanadi Deltaic region conducted the head count drive of the estuarine crocodile.
The method of census adopted to count this crocodilian species was individual total count by direct day and night time sighting/counting.
For the first time polygon search method through mobile application to know the density of crocodile population was used and each unit was provided with a census kit ,Yadav said.
