Bhitarkanika National Park To Remain Closed From Dec 26 For Crocodile Census

Kendrapara: The Bhitarkanika National Park will remain closed for visitors between December 26 and January 4 to facilitate estuarine crocodile census.

The crocodile census will be conducted under the supervision of eminent saltwater crocodile expert Dr. Sudhakar Kar.

The enumerators will be assisted by trained forest staffs and will cover the Bhitarkanika river system besides creeks, inlets and nullahs.

“The day-and-night census will be monitored by technical experts, deputed from Wildlife Headquarters. The total number of crocodiles in the park was 1742 in the last census,” said a forest official.

Forest officials said that the enumerators have sighted 619 hatchlings, 347 yearlings, 273 juveniles, 178 sub-adults (six-eight feet long) and 325 adults (more than 8 feet long) in the last census.

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