Bhubaneswar, July 15 -- A total of 116 nesting sites of endangered estuarine crocodiles were spotted by wildlife staff at the marshy wetland sites of Odisha's Bhitarkanika national park, thus re-establishing Bhitarkanika as the largest habitat of these animals, officials said on Tuesday.
There was a slender rise in nesting sites this year as 114 sites were recorded in 2024. The nesting sites are indicative of the fact that Bhitarkanika is an ideal habitat of saltwater or estuarine crocodiles.
The Kanika wildlife forest range in the core area of the national park logged the maximum sighting with 104 nests. Last year, only 102 nests were spotted at the range, said Manas Das, assistant conservator of forest.
Female crocodiles lay 50 to 60 e...