Odisha zoo gets 40 saltwater crocodile eggs from Bhitarkanika

Bhubaneswar: As many as 40 saltwater crocodile eggs were brought to Nandankanan Zoological Park for the first time here from Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district.

The initiative was taken to increase the saltwater crocodile population at Nandankanan zoo situated on outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

The eggs were brought to Nandankanan premises safely from Bhitarkanika.

This is for the first time in history of Bhitarkanika from where the crocodile eggs were sent to a zoological park in Odisha after setting up of a research centre for crocodiles at Dangmal.

A team of officials led by Prof Sudarshan Moharana and comprising of doctors and forest officials had collected the eggs reaching the crocodile nests where the eggs were destroyed due to high tide.

Earlier, Rajanagar DFO had asked the Kanika Range officer to trace the crocodile nests destroyed due to high tide in the area.

According to reports, officials had collected 110 eggs from four nests destroyed in Kanika range.

Out of 110 eggs, 40 eggs were sent to Nandankanan and remaining 70 eggs will be kept at Dangmal Crocodile Research Centre for incubation, forest official source said.