(IN): Human-reared crocodiles prey on humans

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090825/jsp/frontpage/story_11405406.jsp

Human-reared crocodiles prey on humans

LALMOHAN PATNAIK A saltwater crocodile

 

*Cuttack, Aug. 24: *An unintended horror has visited villages around the

Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary as a conservation programme that “rears and

releases” crocodiles threatens to go wrong.

 

Endangered saltwater crocodiles are gliding out of the sanctuary’s rivers

and creeks at will to hunt for humans in the neighbourhood, with wildlife

experts blaming a fault in the conservation project. They stressed that

conservation itself is a laudable objective but the possible loophole should

be plugged.

 

All reptiles tend to return to their birthplace, an expert said, and at

Bhitarkanika, the crocodiles are being released too far away from where they

are being hatched, causing them to stray as they try to return.

 

Lying in wait near the banks of rivers they are entering, the reptiles have

killed and eaten three villagers in the past 20 days, terrorising a

population of 30,000 living downstream of the river Brahmani. The crocodiles

have been hunting on ground too, even dragging people off their crop fields.

 

The forest department hired squads of skilled fishermen a month ago to beat

back straying crocodiles. But the killings have continued in Rajnagar and

Rajkanika, some 80km from here in coastal Kendrapara, with villagers

alleging the government “cares more for crocodiles than human beings”.

 

Saltwater or estuarine crocodiles are one of the world’s largest and

fiercest predators, can grow up to 20 feet and 1.5 tonnes, and are capable

of explosive charges from water or over land.

 

Sanjukta Behera, 30, became the latest victim on Saturday, pulled into the

river which flows near the backyard of her home in Mahuri village.

 

“Sanjukta and I had walked to the river to wash utensils. The crocodile was

hiding in the undergrowth,” said Rebati Behera, 32. “Sanjukta did not notice

the animal till it pounced on her.”

 

The villagers protested against the crocodile conservation programme in

front of the local block office later in the day. “The government has been

lukewarm to our protests. It seems to care more for crocodiles than human

beings,” said Niranjan Behera.

 

Biswajit Mohanty, secretary, Wildlife Society of Orissa, explained the

government’s mistake.

 

“The hatching is being done at one place (Dangmahal) and the release at

another (Bausagada, 12km to 19km away). The crocodiles are returning to

their original place of hatching, resulting in overcrowding. The hatching

should have been distributed over the area where they plan to release the

reptiles,” he said.

 

Mohanty added that the depletion of food for the crocodiles because of

unchecked illegal fishing was also driving them out of their habitat into

the Brahmani, and onwards into the Kharashrota, Hansua and Gobari rivers

that flow near villages.

 

Officials of the Rajnagar forest division admit that complaints are pouring

in about crocodile attacks.

 

Anadi Barik, 60, was killed while taking an early-morning bath in the river

at Ranipokhari on August 10. Chanchala Digal, 50, was killed at Trilochanpur

on August 4. Earlier, Bidyadhar Rout, 25, of Barajapur and Debendra Kumar

Das, 24, of Vekta had been dragged from their fields.

 

“We have hired four groups of four fishermen each on yearly contracts. Their

job is to find the straying reptiles and chase them back into the

Bhitarkanika river system,” said Manas Ranjan Parida, a forest range officer

in Kendrapada.

 

The latest census had counted 1,572 estuarine crocodiles in Bhitarkanika,

one of them the planet’s largest crocodile at 7.1 metres or 23 feet.

 

 

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