Bhitarkanika officials collect 42 Crocodile eggs from wild for artificial hatching

Kendrapara, July 15 -- Forest personnel at Bhitarkanika National Park today collected 42 estuarine crocodile eggs from a wild nest for artificial incubation at the Dangamal Crocodile Research Centre.

According to Sudarshan Gopinath Jadav, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division, a limited number of eggs are collected annually from vulnerable wild nests for research and incubation under semi-natural conditions.

The hatchlings are reared in captivity for three years before being released into the wild as part of the 'rear and release' conservation programme, aimed at boosting the population of this endangered species.

However, artificial hatching at the Dangamal centre was discontinued from 2...