Saltwater Crocodile Population Increases in Sundarbans: A Conservation Success Story
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change; Species in news; Protected Areas in India.
Key Highlights from the News
The Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in West Bengal has seen an increase in the population of saltwater crocodiles, according to the latest survey by the West Bengal Forest Department.
There has been a significant increase in the number of hatchlings compared to last year, which is an encouraging sign of a healthy ecosystem.
The Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is one of the largest reptiles in the world.
They are described as hypercarnivorous apex predators that help keep the ecosystem clean.
In India, they are mainly found in the mangroves of West Bengal and Odisha, and in the coastal areas of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Long-term conservation projects such as the Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project, which started in 1976, have played a crucial role in this population increase.
COMMENTS