Kendrapada: Forest officials sighted around 114 nests of saltwater crocodiles during the nesting season in Bhitarkanika National Park this year.
“In 2023 and 2022, we counted 122 nests whereas in 2021 only 84 nests in Bhitarkanika had been found due to inundation and tidal waves caused by Cyclone Yaas in May 2021,” said Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav, divisional forest officer, Bhitarkanika National Park, on Thursday.In 2020 and 2019, we counted 103 nests of estuarine crocodiles. “We sighted 101 nests in 2018,” he added.
The rising numbers of nests every year indicates that the adult population of crocodiles is rising. “We counted 1,811 crocodiles during the annual reptile census in January 2024,” he said.
This year, forest department stopped crocodile breeding and rearing programme in the park as population reached its saturation point. But forest personnel collected 54 eggs from a nest to breed them in the crocodile breeding complex at Dangamal within the park for tourists and researchers, the forest officer said.
The nests are made up of mangrove twigs, leaves and mud on high ground to prevent inundation during high tide. “Also, nests on high ground get adequate sunlight,” Sudhakar Kar, a crocodile researcher.
A female crocodile lays 50 to 60 eggs in a nest. Out of 500 eggs of crocodiles in the wild, only one crocodile survives till adulthood. The female reptiles guards the eggs from predators like jackals, wild dogs, fishing cats, vultures, water monitors, wild boars and other animals. “The crocodiles cover the eggs with leaves to prevent ingress of rainwater,” Kar said.
Forest department banned entry into the forest from May 1 to July 31 during mating and breeding of crocodiles in the forest. In 1975, the ministry of forest and environment in collaboration with UNDP started a crocodile breeding and rearing project in Dangamala within the park. “Due to the project, crocodile population started increasing in the creeks, river and other water bodies of the park and its nearby areas,” said Kar.

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