Kendrapada: The three-month ban on entry of tourists to Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapada district for the mating and nesting season of saltwater crocodiles began on Wednesday. The ban will be effective till July 31.
The prohibition is usually imposed at Bhitarkanika, Dangamala and Ragadapati forest blocks of the wildlife sanctuary to allow disturbance-free annual nesting of crocodiles, which lay eggs near the water bodies of the mangrove forest and guard them till the emergence of hatchlings. The restriction on tourists is necessary to ensure that the estuarine crocodiles are not disturbed during this season.
“The sound of mechanised boats ferrying tourists and forest officials will disturb the crocodiles. Once the reptiles get disturbed during the nesting and breeding period, they become more violent and the majority of crocodile attacks take during the nesting season,” assistant chief conservator of forests, Bhitarkanika, Manas Das told then media.
He further said that forest guards have been asked to keep a watch on the movement of the female crocodiles. “Local forest-dwellers also illegally enter the forest to collect honey and wood, which disturbs the reptiles. To prevent the entry of villagers, the forest department has restricted the movement of people in the forest areas,” Das added.
A female crocodile lays 50 to 60 eggs in a nest, which is built using mangrove twigs, leaves and mud and is usually at a higher altitude to ensure direct sunlight and prevent it from getting flooded during the rainy season. Out of 500 eggs, only one hatchling becomes an adult.
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