Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) near Bhubaneswar has lost five estuarine crocodiles kept in captivity over the last eight days, raising concerns among zookeepers and conservationists.
The estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles were reared in the zoo pens after eggs collected from the water bodies of Bhitarkanika National Park were artificially hatched. The species was kept in captivity for demonstration and research purposes.
The zoo has reported the deaths of five captive crocodiles between January 23 and 30, raising serious concerns. An investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the reptiles’ deaths, an official of NZP said.
Post-mortems of the crocodiles have been conducted. Researchers and veterinarians from the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics at the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry under Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, are conducting a thorough investigation into the deaths. The health condition of other saltwater crocodiles is being monitored round the clock, he added.
Bhitarkanika National Park, a designated Ramsar wetland site in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, is an ideal habitat for estuarine crocodiles, with their population showing an upward trend. According to the Saltwater Crocodile Estimation-2026 report, a total of 1,858 estuarine crocodiles were recorded.
Bhitarkanika National Park is home to 70% of India’s estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles, conservation of which began in 1975. The saltwater crocodile population in Bhitarkanika has increased manifold from 96 in 1975 to 1,858 today.
Incidentally, Odisha is the only state in the country where three species of crocodiles — saltwater, gharial, and mugger — inhabit the river systems.