Paradip: The headcount exercise of mammals along the mangrove cover and wetland sites of Bhitarkanika National Park has been started to assess the growth pattern of these animals.

Wildlife experts are on the job to enumerate these species. A status survey of these animals is vital for the study of the growth pattern of these species living within the marshy wetland and mangroves of the Ramsar International Wetland site, said an official.

Deer and wild boars form the sizable chunk of the numbers of mammals here. These species, which stray into nearby human settlements on the close periphery of the park destroy crop and agriculture fields and trigger man-animal conflicts. The number of mammals in the park had come down marginally last year. From 6253 in 2015, the mammal population had dropped to 6122 in 2016 year.

By all indications, the number of mammal is on a steady rise because of the conducive environs and availability of food reserve. The enumerators are carrying out the headcount on the basis of distinct footmarks of the deer, boar and hyenas, said divisional forest officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) forest division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya.

The rich and lush-green mangrove forest has turned into an ideal habitat for hyenas, boars and deer. Lack of human interference in their habitation corridors is also a favourable for these animals. Besides, there is imbalance in predator-prey base in Bhitarkanika. Unlike the Sundarbans, the Bhitarkanika mangroves are devoid of tigers. Only the estuarine crocodiles prey upon these animals, Acharya said.

Recurring man-animal conflicts due to straying of these mammals into national park side human settlements is an indicator of the rise in their numbers, said an official.