Kendrapara: With the annual census of estuarine crocodiles and migratory birds getting underway, Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapara district will remain shut for visitors for nine days from Friday, an official said.
Several teams have been constituted to count crocodiles and birds in the creeks, nullahs, rivers, wetland sites and mangrove forests in the park and its nearby areas, he said.
“The national park will remain closed for nine days (January 5 to January 13) for the annual census of estuarine crocodiles and winter migrant feathered species,” the official said.
The temporary closure will ensure smooth and human interference-free counting exercise, he said.
“In a bid to ensure that no form of human activity comes during the counting exercise of the reptiles and migratory birds, the curb on tourists’ footfall has been imposed,” he said.
Bhitarkanika is home to 70 per cent of India’s estuarine crocodiles or saltwater crocodiles, conservation of which started way back in 1975.
The number of saltwater crocodiles, the species which are not found in any other river system in Odisha, stands at 1,793 in Bhitarkanika, as per the latest census.
Adequate conservation measures by the state forest department have led to a systematic rise in the number of these reptiles over the years, the forest official claimed.
PTI