Survey reveals Sunderbans is home to 204 saltwater crocodiles

Kolkata: According to a survey conducted this January by the Forest department, Sunderbans, the world’s largest mangrove delta, is home to at least 204 saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus).

“There have been 168 physical sightings in the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve during the survey. The estimated population of the saltwater crocodile is between 204 and 234. This is an assessment of the population trend, not the exact number,” a Forest department official said.

State chief wildlife warden Debal Roy said that a report will soon be released by the department. The Sajnekhali and Basirhat ranges of the STR (Sunderban Tiger Reserve) and the Matla range of the South 24-Parganas Division were covered as part of the survey on January 17 and 20. The National Park East and National Park West of the STR and the Raidighi and Ramganga ranges of the South 24-Parganas division were covered on January 20 and 21. “The conditions were overcast on some of the days of the physical survey. The inclement weather meant the base number (physical sightings) was on the lower side. If the base number is low, the estimated population will invariably be on the lower side,” the official added.

The Forest department involved 22 teams, out of which 14 were deployed for the STR and eight for the South 24-Parganas Forest Division. Each team had Forest department personnel as well as representatives of local wildlife NGOs.

The crocodile population estimate was done on the basis of physical sightings and sign surveys and the assessment of the habitat. The survey took place after 12 years. The last one held in 2012 had put the total count to around 99 crocodiles.

The saltwater crocodile is the largest and heaviest living reptile in the world. Males can grow up to 20 feet and weigh over 1,000 kg. The largest one recorded in India, in Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha, was 22-feet-long. Its skull is displayed in the national park’s museum. The estuarine crocodile is found in eastern India, southeast Asia and northern Australia.