Bhubaneswar, Aug. 4: The Bhitarkanika national park in coastal Kendrapara is witnessing the fascinating natural phenomenon of baby crocodiles emerging from the eggs and making their way to various water bodies inside the wildlife sanctuary.

The annual breeding and nesting season of the endangered salt water crocodiles, the species responsible for bringing Bhitarkanika into international focus, draws to an end with hatchlings breaking out of the egg shells.

The sanctuary was out of bounds for tourists from May 31 to July 31 in view of the breeding season of these reptiles. The ban on tourists was necessary as human interference can turn the crocodiles violent.

Forest range officer Akshaya Kumar Nayak said baby crocs have started coming out of the eggs since yesterday and the phenomenon would continue to unfold over the next six to seven days.

This year, a record 80 nesting sites of estuarine crocodiles have been spotted in the national park.

This is being seen as proof that the wildlife habitat is in a healthy condition and the conservation measures undertaken by officials have succeeded.

Forest officials kept a close watch on the nesting sites and watched the hatchlings come out of their shells and make their way towards creeks and rivers within the sanctuary area without their mothers.

The officials, however, kept a safe distance from the nests as human interference could turn the reptiles aggressive.

Sources in the wildlife wing of the forest department said female crocodiles lay 50 to 60 eggs and the hatchlings usually emerge from the nests after an incubation period of 70 to 80 days.

However, mortality rate among crocodiles being very high, hardly one out of every hundred crocodiles born grows into an adult. The babies are usually devoured in the wild by predators.