OD-CROCS-CENSUS

The annual census of

estuarine or saltwater crocodiles got underway at Bhitarkanika

National Park in Kendrapara district Thursday following which

the area has been been kept out of bounds for tourists,

officials said.

Forest officials, crocodile experts and researchers,

will carry out the census till January 14, the officials said.

The objective is to keep the place free from human

interference during the headcount and so the park has been

closed for visitors, a forest official said.

Apart from the Bhitarkanika river system, water

inlets, creeks and nullas within the national park, the

headcount of crocodiles is also being carried out in the areas

along the deltaic region of Mahanadi river, the forest

official said.

The upstream of Brahmani, Baitarani and Kharasrota

river systems have been identified as habitation corridor of

estuarine crocodiles, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of

Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, Bimal Prasanna

Acharya, said.

The enumerators will also cover these areas during the

census, Acharya said.

During the last census in January 2018, the forest

officials had listed 1,698 crocodiles, the DFO said.

The count was 1,682 the year before, the DFO added.

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