India, Aug. 20 -- Saltwater crocodiles, the world's largest crocodiles that are found in the Sundarbans in West Bengal, are losing their nesting grounds due to effects of global warming and climate change on the fragile delta ecosystem, a government report flagged on Monday.

The report, titled 'Population Assessment and Habitat Ecology Study of SaltWater Crocodiles in Sundarbans 2025', said that there are around 220 to 242 saltwater crocodiles in the entire Sundarbans. In 2024, their population stood between 204 and 234.

It also stated that there could be multiple reasons behind the shrinking of suitable nesting sites, including climate change induced factors such as rising sea level, warming of estuarine water and increasing salinity....