Bhitarkanika national park to be shut from Thursday for annual crocodile census

Kendrapara (Odisha), Jan 7 (PTI) Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapara district would remain closed for three days from Thursday to facilitate the annual census of estuarine crocodiles, officials said.

Twenty-two teams have been constituted to count the reptiles in the creeks, nullahs, rivers, wetland sites and mangrove forest within the park and its nearby areas, they said.

Besides forest officials, wildlife researchers and locals voleunteers will shoulder the task of counting the crocodiles, said Varadaraj Gaonkar, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division.

Soundless boats will be deployed during the census and restrictions on visit of people will help prevent noise pollution during the exercise, the officer said.

Bhitarkanika houses 70 per cent of India’s estuarine crocodiles or saltwater crocodiles, conservation of which was started in 1975.

According to the 2025 census, the number of saltwater crocodiles in Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary stands at 1,826. PTI COR AAM AAM MNB