CROCODILE PROJECT ECOLOGY CONSERVATION OF CROCODILES

ECOLOGY CROCODILE PROJECT CROCODILE CONSERVATION

1. TOPIC : CROCODILE CONSERVATION PROJECT DR HARI SINGH GOUR UNIVERSITY SAGAR MADHYA PRADESH SUBMITTED TO: DR. DIVYA RAWAT SUBMITTED BY :JYOTI SINGH Y22265011 M.Sc. III SEM DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY MID –II ASSINGNMENT

2. Introduction Crocodiles  are large  semi aquatic reptiles  found in the  tropics of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.  According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, there are 23 known crocodile species, with  7 listed as Critically Endangered, 4 as Vulnerable, and 12 as Least Risk.   The Indian Crocodile Conservation Project  has brought once-threatened crocodilians back from the brink of extinction and put them on the road to recovery. The Project has not only produced a large number of crocodiles, but it has also contributed to conservation in a variety of related fields. This scheme focuses on the  gharial, saltwater crocodile, and mugger. World Crocodile Day is celebrated on  17 th  June.  The day is a  global awareness campaign  to highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world.

3. Indian Crocodile Conservation Project – Background Crocodilians were threatened in India due to indiscriminate commercial killing and severe habitat loss until the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. By the 1970s, all three crocodile species (Gharial, Mugger crocodile, and Saltwater crocodile) in Odisha's river systems were on the verge of extinction. Crocodiles were scarce due to increased human activity in rivers and other traditional habitats, resulting in a reduction in the extent of habitable stretches. In addition, predation reduces the survival rate of crocodile hatchlings in the wild. From the 1960s onward, piecemeal efforts were made to save the crocodile. Dr. H.R.Bustard ,  an FAO expert hired by UNDP/FAO and the Government of India, studied the prospects of crocodile rehabilitation, and a  Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in 1975  in various states based on his report and guidance.

4. Description GHARIALS , sometimes called gavials, are a type of Asia crocodilian distinguished by their long, thin snouts which resembles a pot ( ghara in Hindi). Gharials are a type of Crocodilians that also includes crocodiles alligators, caimans, etc. The population of Gharials are a good indicator of clean river water. The gharial is known to be a relatively harmless, fish-eating species. Habitat: The gharials are mostly found in fresh waters of the himalayan rivers. The  chambal river  in the northern slopes of the Vindhya mountains ( Madhya Pradesh) is known as the primary habitat of gharials. Other himalayan rivers like ghagra , gandak river, Girwa river, Ramganga river and the Sone river are secondary habitats for gharials. Threats: Illegal sand mining, poaching, increased river pollution, dam construction, massive-scale fishing operations and floods Protection Status: IUCN List of Threatened Species:  Critically Endangered Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 TYPES OF CROCODILE SPECIES GHARIAL

5. DESCRIPTION The mugger is an egg-laying and hole-nesting species. The mugger is also known to be dangerous. Habitat: It is mainly restricted to the Indian subcontinent where it may be found in a number of freshwater habitat types including rivers, lakes and marshes. However, it can even be found in coastal saltwater lagoons and estuaries. It is already   extinct in Bhutan and Myanmar. Threats Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and transformation, fishing activities and use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes. Protection Status: IUCN List of Threatened Species:   Vulnerable Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Mugger or Marsh Crocodile: :

6. ESTUARINE OR SALTWATER CROCODILE Description: It is considered as the Earth’s largest living crocodile species. The  estuarine crocodile   is infamous globally as a known  maneater. Habitat: It is found in Odisha’s  Bhitarkanika National Park , the  sunderbans in West Bengal and the Andamans and Nicobar Islands. It is also found across Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Threats: Illegal hunting, habitat loss, and antipathy toward the species because of its reputation as a man-eater continue to put pressure on the population. Protection Status: IUCN List of Threatened Species:  Least Concer n Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 :  Schedule I

7. What is the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project? The Crocodile Conservation Project was established in various states in  1975 . The Gharial and Saltwater Crocodile Conservation Program was launched in Odisha in early 1975, followed by the  Mugger Conservation Program. As a result of the programme , the estimated number of saltwater crocodiles in India increased from 96 in 1976 to 1,640 in 2012. The project received funding and technical assistance from UNDP/FAO via the Government of India. The Crocodile Project began with the goal of increasing the population to the point where sightings of 5 to 6 crocodiles per kilometre length of water were possible. Through rear and release operations, the Project attempted to compensate for natural losses caused by death and predation.

8. This included collecting eggs from nests as soon as they were laid, incubating and hatching the eggs in hatcheries under temperature and humidity control, rearing the young juveniles, marking and releasing the young crocodiles into Nature in protected areas, and assessing the degree of success in restocking any protected area with crocodiles released from hatcheries. To accomplish these goals, three separate research units for the Gharial, Salt Water Crocodile, and Mugger were established in Tikarpara , Dangmal , and Ramatirtha , respectively. Captive breeding plans for all three species were pursued at the  Nandankanan Biological Park . Soon after the project began, it became clear that well-trained staff were required for a successful crocodile conservation programme . In 1980, a  Crocodile Breeding and Management Training Institute was founded in Hyderabad.

9. Crocodile Census in India The crocodile census was held in January 2020 in Odisha's Bhitarkanika National Park and its surrounding areas in the Kendrapara district. Officials formed 22 teams to count the crocodiles in all of the creeks and rivers within the park and its surrounding areas, and 1,757 crocodiles were discovered. This was slightly more than last year's total of 1,742 crocodiles. During the census, 620 hatchlings, 325 yearlings, 288 juveniles, 185 sub-adults, and 339 adult crocodiles were discovered. The enumerators also saw 12 albino crocodiles and four giant crocodiles over 20 feet long in the water bodies.

10. All three crocodile species have been saved from extinction, and many of their habitats have been added to the state's protected area network. The crocodile project, which has long slowed in the state, has made significant contributions to the development of knowledge and the spread of awareness. Crocodiles' future can be secured by adequately protecting their habitats. Aside from producing a large number of crocodiles in a short period of time, the Crocodile Project has made numerous contributions to the overall approach to wildlife conservation, research, and training. Locals have been intimately involved in crocodile management. Full-time research personnel have been hired for the wildlife wing to conduct crocodile and other wildlife research. Crocodiles have been used as the flagship species in some important wetland sanctuaries. Other wetland species were actively managed alongside the crocodilians. Mangrove plants, marine turtles, freshwater turtles, monitor lizards, Gangetic dolphins, otters, and other reptilian fauna were among them. Along with the crocodile project, an intimate international collaboration in wildlife conservation, education, and training began. Indian Crocodile Conservation Project - Achievements

11. Crocodile Conservation Programmes in India Baula Project in Dangamal The Oriya word for saltwater crocodile is ' Baula .’ Salt-water crocodile eggs have been collected locally at Dangmal in Bhitarkanika sanctuary, and young crocodiles have been released in creeks and estuaries, with over 2200 crocodiles released in phases since 1977 . This operation was relatively successful, and the crocodile population in the Bhitarkanika river system gradually increased. More than 50 released female Saltwater Crocodiles have successfully breaded and are laying eggs in the wild.

12. Mugger Project At Ramatirtha The Ramatirtha centre for Mugger crocodiles began with Mugger eggs and juveniles obtained from Tamilnadu . Since 1984, Muggers have been bred and young ones released into the wild in Similipal , and more than 600 crocodiles have been released in the area. A census was carried out to determine the population status of Mugger crocodiles in the major rivers/waterbodies within the Similipal .

13. Gharial Project at Tikarpada Gharial eggs were collected at Tikarpara at various times from Nepal's Narayani and Kali rivers, as well as the Chambal sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The eggs taken from Mahanadi were infertile. Gharial hatchlings were obtained from eggs incubated in Nepal's Royal Chitwan National Park and Uttar Pradesh's Katarniyaghat sanctuary. More than 700 Gharials raised at Tikarpara and those produced through captive breeding at Nandankanan Zoo were released in the Mahanadi River between Boudh and Katrang . One assessment of the rear and release operation in respect of Gharials was made between December 1987 and January 1988, when only 25 Gharials were discovered to be surviving in the entire stretch of the river Mahanadi and down stream of Hirakud Reservoir over a 400-kilometer stretch. One male and two female Gharials were sighted and counted in and outside of the sanctuary during the January 2003 census. A study was conducted to determine the causes of the Gharial's poor survival in Mahanadi.