Odisha: 16 White Crocodiles Spotted In Bhitarkanika | OTV News

Kendrapara: Sixteen white crocodiles have been sighted within the brackish water our bodies of Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park, the nation’s lone habitation for albino estuarine crocodiles, as per the newest census report launched on Monday.
The crocodile inhabitants in Bhitarkanika has swollen to 1,768 from 95 4 many years in the past, the report mentioned.
There have been solely two white crocodiles in Bhitarkanika when a crocodile conservation programme of the Centre and the UNDP was launched in 1975 whereas the quantity had elevated to fifteen final yr, researcher Sudhakar Kar, who led the census staff, mentioned.
“We were earlier apprehensive of the mortality rate among albino crocodiles but as they have been spotted again, it seems the brackish water bodies of the national park have emerged as a favourable habitation for the reptiles,” he mentioned.
As per the report, 593 crocodiles are hatchlings, 367 yearlings, 30 juveniles, 152 sub-adults and 336 adults.
Estuarine crocodiles are additionally present in West Bengal’s Sundarbans and mangrove wetlands within the Andaman and Nicobar Islands however the inhabitants of the reptiles is the very best in Bhitarkanika, he mentioned.
Apart from the 16 white crocodiles within the wild, Bhitarkanika can be dwelling to 2 members of the species dwelling in captivity within the park’s enclosure, together with a 46-year-old feminine crocodile that shuns mating.
Bhitarkanika is dwelling to the world’s largest crocodile measuring 21 toes.
More than 70 per cent of the crocodiles have been noticed in water our bodies within the core space of the nationwide park, lowering probabilities of man-animal battle in riverside villages, the report mentioned.
(With PTI Inputs)

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