Week-long ban in Bhitarkanika for crocodile census

Kendrapada, Dec 13 (UNI) Tourists and visitors entry to Bhitarkanika National Park will be prohibited for a week from January five for head count of salt-water crocodiles.

Bhitarkanika forest official sources said the reptile, being amphibious, could be counted directly when basking on the river banks and floating on water.

During the night, the crocodiles prefer float on water or rest on land.

Forest officials sources said at least 56 nests in the water bodies of the National Park had been identified during breeding and nesting time of the crocodiles early this year.

Each nest site would be enriched with 50-60 eggs and the forest department has also collected some of the eggs from the nests in order to hatch the eggs in the Dangamal crocodile Research centre.

During the last census as many as 1454 salt-water crocodiles were spotted in the water bodies of Bhitarkanika National Park.

UNI XC DP PC LS DS1331