Rajnagar: In what may come as exciting news for animal lovers, 29-year-old rare albino crocodile ‘Malli’ has laid eggs in anticipation of motherhood in Bhitarkanika National Park. Living a solitary life in an enclosed pond within the park, Malli has built a nest and laid eggs, continuing her unique behaviour in pursuit of motherhood despite being without a male mate for 29 years. This situation raises questions on the likelihood of the eggs hatching as she has laid eggs six times in the past without success.
In 1975, Bhitarkanika National Park commenced the world’s first artificial crocodile breeding programme, spearheaded by Australian biologist Dr HR Bustard and Indian crocodile researcher Dr Sudhakar Kar. In 2003, two albino hatchlings were found inside a forest adjacent to Dangamal Crocodile Breeding Centre near Bankuala village. Forest department staff captured the hatchlings and kept the brighter one of them in a pen and released the second one into a creek near Suajora. When the higher-ups of the breeding centre saw the albino crocodile in the pen, they were very much excited and named her ‘Malli’. Distinguished for her distinct white coloration, Malli has become more popular among the visiting tourists than another well-known albino crocodile Gori. Malli has been living in a 50- decimal enclosed pond connected to the Bhitarkanika River, which allows fish to enter into the pond during high tides. This year, Malli laid eggs in an elevated area of the pond after building a nest with twigs and leaves. The forest officials who feed Malli were surprised as she was exhibiting unusual behaviour for the past 7-8 days by ignoring their calls.
In 2018, Malli laid 18 eggs for the first time, followed by 24 in 2019, 18 in 2020, 27 in 2021, 29 in 2022, and 23 in 2023. However, none of the eggs hatched due to the absence of a male partner. This year, she has laid eggs again and is diligently guarding them, raising concerns about her ability to become a mother without a mate. The Forest department is considering finding her a suitable male companion to fulfill her maternal instincts. According to DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav, the head of the Rajnagar Wildlife Division, discussions are going on with crocodile experts to find an appropriate mate for Malli.