No increase in Mugger, Gharial population in Odisha’s Satkosia gorge

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Angul, Jan 17:

There has been no increase in the number of Mugger crocodile population in Odisha’s Satkosia gorge along the 40 km stretch of Mahanadi river from Athmallik in Angul district to Chakragarh in Athgarh area of Cuttack district.

As per the crocodile census held by the forest staff in January this year, the number of Mugger crocodile in these areas has remained unchanged at 90.

There were a total of 96 crocodiles, including 90 Muggers and six Gharials, in these areas of the Mahanadi river bed as per the census carried out last year.

While the number of the Muggers has remained unchanged, the number of Gharials has come down to five,this year’s census revealed.

However, the Forest department has released 15 Gharials from Nandakanan zoo in Satkosia in two phases of which three have died. With this, the total number of Gharials in Satkosia is now 17.

DFO of Satkosia Wildlife Division, SMT Rehman said the forest staff, during the census, counted the crocodiles they had spotted.

He, however, informed that there is a lone male Gharial in Satkosia gorge measuring 13-14 feet.

“To increase Gharial population in Mahanadi, we have decided to release three female Gharials from Nandankanan in Satkosia very soon,” he added.

The DFO also informed that the three-day bird census, carried out in several water bodies along the 22-km stretch of Mahanadi under Satkosia Wildlife Division which concluded on January 6, has found the presence of 51 bird species of which 31 species have been found in Sishu Pathara (Suhagi Irrigation Project) area.

“While 6488 birds have been found along the Mahanadi river bed, 2365 birds have been found in Sishu Pathara area,” he said, adding that these birds are presumed to have come from the Himalayan region.