A SALT-WATER CROCODILE THAT STRAYED INTO A WATERBODY NEAR THE VILLAGE AREAS. TELEGRAPH PICTURE

Kendrapara, April 20: The state forest department has launched a cash-incentive scheme to encourage the riverside residents to keep the forest department informed of the crocodiles’ act of trespass.

The department has decided to disburse Rs 200 incentive to the informer disseminating information on a straying crocodile.The scheme aims to reduce the rate of man-crocodile conflict by chasing away the crocodiles from waterbodies adjacent to human habitation.

In another development, authorities of the Bhitarkanika National Park have asked the riverside villagers to stay away from the croc-infested waterbodies.“Any information on whereabouts of the trespassing reptile would be rewarded with on-the-spot cash incentive. The rationale behind the scheme is to drive away the animals to their original habitats. The villagers are now expected to come forward to inform wildlife officials of the crocodiles’ intrusion,” said Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, divisional forest officer of the Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Forest Division.

The forest personnel are seldom informed of crocodiles spotted in riverside waterbodies. Only when the animals go berserk by attacking humans and domesticated animals, the department comes to know of the man-animal conflict.

During the breeding season of crocs, incidents of attack on humans become much greater. As the human interference disturbs these mating animals, violent behavioural instinct takes the better of these reptiles.In past months, crocs had gone berserk attacking humans and domestic animals igniting fresh bouts of man-animal conflict in villages near the sanctuary. Four crocodiles have fallen prey to retaliatory human attacks in the past three months. Crocs are now found marching towards upstream of the rivers, where thickly populated villages are located. As a result, the croc-man conflict is resurfacing again. It is not scarcity of food that is driving the reptiles out of their habitat, but inconsistency in the water’s salinity.

“With their habitation corridors coming under the impact of a hyper-salinity condition, crocodiles have begun to intrude into less saline waterbodies near villages triggering a surge in crocodile attacks on human beings. The adult crocodiles continue to stick to their habitation zone while the sub-adult and juvenile crocs are straying into adjoining rivers connected to the Bhitarkanika river system,” Mahapatra said.