Sign In
Learn bits
Ecology & Environment
Pradeep Kumar

06/06/21 11:20 AM IST

Saltwater crocodiles

In news

The carcass of a five-feet-long saltwater crocodile was found in the Patasala river near Silapokhari village within the Bhitarkanika National Park (BNP) in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.

Highlights
  • The reptile choked and drowned by being caught inside a fishing net or died due to infighting. 
  • Saltwater crocodiles were included in Schedule I of India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • The saltie’s death has exposed lacunae in the crocodile conservation work done in the park.
  • The rivers, creeks and other water bodies within BNP are the home of around 1,800 saltwater crocodiles.
Background
  • In 1975, the then-Union Ministry of Forest and Environment, in a collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme had started a crocodile breeding and rearing project in Dangamala within BNP.
  • Relentless efforts by the authorities have increased the number of crocodiles in Bhitarkanika to 1,768 in January 2021, from just 96 in 1974.
  • The forest department had stopped the crocodile breeding and rearing programme in 2012 in the park as the crocodile population had reached a saturation point.
Source: PIB

More Related Current Affairs View All

15 Jan

Meta shutting down fact-checkers

'Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will get rid of fact-checkers and simplify content policies by removing restrictions on topics as it is “out of touch with mainstre

Read More

15 Jan

Mission Mausam

'Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched  ‘Mission Mausam’, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at making India a weather-ready and climate-smart nation, as part of th

Read More

15 Jan

Mahakumbh First Amrit Snan

'January 14 was the first amrit snan or shahi snan at the Mahakumbh underway in Prayagraj.' Shri Panchayati Akhara Mahanirvani and Shri Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara were the f

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps