File picture of an estuarine crocodile in Bhitarkanika National Park

Kendrapara, Dec. 4: The Bhitarkanika National Park will remain out of bounds for tourists and visitors for a fortnight during the Christmas holidays.

The park’s closure from December 24 to January 8 is being clamped in view of annual census of the salt water crocodiles, said divisional forest officer of Bhitarkanika Kedar Kumar Swain.

“The restrictions will be carried out to prevent noise pollution during the counting of the reptiles in Bhitarkanika. Besides, we want the operation to be free from human interference. The peak winter period is suitable for the headcount of the reptiles. The census drive would be conducted under the supervision of wildlife personnel. The enumerators, assisted by trained local forest employees and some herpetologists, including noted crocodile researcher Sudhakar Kar of the state wildlife department, would cover the Bhitarkanika river system, creeks, water inlets and nullahs,” said the forest official.

As many as 1,649 estuarine crocodiles, including four reptiles measuring more than 20 feet, were sighted in the water bodies at Bhitarakanika in January. According to the last census, the population of the endangered reptiles marginally increased as in 2012, the forest officials counted 1,646 crocodiles.

“Of 1,649 crocodiles, 486 hatchlings, 356 yearlings, 395 juveniles, 128 sub-adults, 284 adults and four giants crocodiles measuring more than 20 feet long were found during the reptile census,” said Swain.

During the 2000 census, 1,192 estuarine crocodiles were counted, whereas in the 2001 census, the number of crocodiles was counted 1,330. But, as many as 1,308 crocodiles were counted in the 2002 census and the 2005 the census figure of the crocodile in Bhitarkanika stood at 1,449. In 2006, 1,454 crocodiles and in 2007, 1,482 crocodiles were found in Bhitarkanika. In 2008, 1,482 crocodiles were sighted. In 2009, 1,572 crocodiles and in 2010, 1,610 crocodiles were found in Bhitarkanika.

In 1975, the ministry of forest and environment, in a collaboration with the UNDP, had started a crocodile breeding and rearing project at Dangamal in the Bhitarkanika park. It is because of this project that the crocodile population started increasing in the creeks, river and other water bodies of the park and its nearby areas, said the forest officer.

The estuarine crocodile conservation project in Bhitarkanika has turned out to be success story. Ideal habitat, proper management, curb on illegal fishing have contributed to the overwhelming success of the project. The project at other places had tasted failure because these factors and ingredients were found wanting there, said a forest official.