Kendrapara: The mutilated body of a fisherman, who is suspected to have been killed by a crocodile, was found on the bank of the Brahmani river in Kendrapara district Thursday, officials said.
The reptile pounced on Siba Prasad Behera, 40, while he was fishing near Nalapai village in Aul police station area on Wednesday, a forest official said.
The 40-year-old, half-eaten by the saltwater crocodile, is the latest victim in a growing number of crocodile attacks in the riverside villages in the vicinity of Bhitarkanika National Park.
The deceased’s family will be given Rs 4 lakh as ex-gratia, an official said.
The Bhitarkanika national park and adjoining Mahanadi deltaic region is the home to 1,784 saltwater crocodiles, according to this year’s reptile census.
The wildlife sanctuary, which is essentially a network of creeks and canals, is home to the largest congregation of the endangered saltwater crocodiles in the country.
The conflict and loss of human lives are most frequently recorded during the summer and monsoon months, the nesting season of the estuarine crocodiles.
Most often, the mishaps occur when the victims intrude into the crocodile habitat for illegal fishing, poaching and collecting firewood and honey. The animals, in the wake of depleted food reserves in the river system, also stray into nearby rivulets.
PTI