By IANS
Kendrapada (Orissa) : The population of saltwater crocodiles in Orissa’s Bhitarkanika National Park, the world’s largest rookery of Olive Ridley turtles, has gone up to 1,498 this year from 1,482 in January 2007.
Bhitarkanika, in the coastal district of Kendrapada and located about 170 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, is also famous for attracting a large number of migratory birds every winter.
Sudhakar Kar, crocodile researcher of the state forest department, told IANS: “Last year the number of crocodiles in the sanctuary was 1,482. This year it has gone up to 1,498. The numbers emerged after the crocodile census that was conducted in the park between Jan 7 and 14.”
The total crocodiles sighted included 538 hatchlings, 342 yearlings, 227 juveniles, 139 sub-adults, 252 adults. There were three giant crocodiles measuring more than 20 feet.
Kar said forest officials had spotted 64 saltwater crocodile nesting sites at the creeks, drains and river inside the park four months ago.
“We used non-mechanised boats to count the basking crocodiles as well as GPS (global positioning system) to track the movements of the endangered reptiles,” he said.
In 2006, the Guinness Book of World Records adjudged a 23-foot-long saltwater crocodile from Bhitarkanika as the biggest crocodile in the world.
In 1975, the forest and environment ministry of the state in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had started a crocodile breeding and rearing project in the park.