Value and Status of marsh crocodile .pptx

Value and Status of marsh crocodile (crocodylus Palustris)

1. Biodiversity Valuation and Status of Marsh Crocodile Course name: Biodiversity Conservation Course code: ENV 310 Submitted to, Md Nasir Ahmed Patoary Lecturer Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh Submitted By, Ashanur Tuhin ENV 07705277

2. Marsh Crocodile: Introduction Marsh Crocodile also known as mugger ( Crocodylus palustris),is species of freshwater crocodile known for its broad head and snout, robust body. Muggers inhabit freshwater streams, ponds, and marshes, as well as saltwater lagoons, in South Asia. The mugger’s geographic range extends from extreme southeastern Iran eastward to Bangladesh and from Nepal and northern India south to Sri Lanka. The crocodile’s common name comes from magar , which translates loosely to “water monster” in the Hindi and Urdu languages.

3. Economical Importance For Human Positive: Crocodylus palustris or march crocodile is killed for its skin to make leather products. However, it has decreased since the 1930’s because of laws forbidding hunting of endangered species worldwide. However people still hunt for other reasons besides just their skin. Their bones and scales are fabled to have medicinal properties that the older generation still uses. Poachers also steal eggs of the species to sell on the black market. Negative: Mugger crocodiles have been an economic liability in areas where fishing is a large part of the economy. As top predators, these crocodiles may decrease fish biodiversity. Crocodiles have been known to attack fishermen.

4. In a ritual, farmers scoop out mud from fields, and shape it .. In India Mugger crocodiles were worship to shows that humans forefathers believed in coexistence and respect. The Marsh crocodile represents ‘maya’ and earthly attachments, it is also the vehicle of water gods, referring to the legendary transporters of gods such as Ganga, Narmada, and Varuna.The crocodile was also often represented as a celestial guardian, especially in Hindu iconography. Cultural Value

5. Marsh crocodiles play a crucial role in maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems. Their presence helps control fish populations, which in turn affects the aquatic vegetation and overall water quality. Valuing this service involves: Biodiversity Contribution: Protecting marsh crocodiles contributes to the conservation of biodiversity. The value of biodiversity can be estimated through willingness-to-pay (WTP) studies where communities or stakeholders express how much they would pay to conserve a species. Ecosystem Regulation: Healthy aquatic ecosystems support fisheries, provide clean water, and contribute to flood control. The economic value of these services can be significant, though challenging to quantify precisely. Ecological Value

6. Ecological Value ( cntd .) As adults Marsh crocodile regulate the populations of other animals – stopping them from overcrowding and degrading ecosystems. Crocodiles also create habitats for other animals by burrowing and nest building. During the dry season, the presence of crocodiles deters land animals from using and drinking the limited water supplies. This protects aquatic life and systems. Protecting and restoring crocodile habitats benefits people by creating clean water supplies and healthy fish supplies.

7. Current status (worldwide) Mugger crocodiles are categorized as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List criteria for threatened species. The crocodile is listed under Appendix I of CITES, this includes species threatened with extinction. Hunting and trading of this species is permitted only in “exceptional circumstances.” That has been stated by the Appendix I of CITES. Historically, the primary threats to mugger crocodiles have been habitat destruction, fragmentation, drowning in fishing nets, egg predation by people, and the use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes. Currently, the main risks to the species are changes to habitat and mortality in fishing nets. Many breeding facilities that are used to increase the population have been shut down and are used to hold the surplus eggs in stock. This is because there have been observations of the crocodile population increasing. There has been an increase in crocodile sightings and attacks which has led to this reasoning. Many laws have been placed by India, Pakistan, Iran, and Sri Lanka to outlaw the hunting and harming of mugger crocodiles.

8. Historical status (Bangladesh) Crocodile palustris was not uncommon over entire Bangladesh during the first period. The river pdama , Jamuna,Meghna,Brahmmaputra and almost all of their tributaries supported this species. Possibly it was also present in the Mountain rivers karnaphuli , Mathamuhuri and Sangu as mitra 1957, he also reported that people in chittagomng used to eat crocodile eggs. He also reported that in between 1396 to 1946 in British Bengal region (Bangladesh and West Bengal of India) there were more than 1000 marsh crocodile has been killed by human. Between 1943-1944 ,four people were killed by marsh crocodile in Faridpur District. Local residents interviewed have agreed that almost every day of a journey through rivers this crocodile could be seen. They occasionally attacked bathing villagers and cattels . By the End of 1960s the species had been virtually wiped out from the tributaries of Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Karnaphuli , Matamuhuri and sangu river. Hendrik in 1975 reported in less saline water areas of sundarban have some marsh crocodile, but after him in 1980,1981,1982 Muhammad ali Reza khan in his research on marsh crocodile did not found a single one to trace.

9. Current status (Bangladesh) Once, mugger crocodiles ( Crocodylus palustris) were common in Bangladesh’s major rivers, including the Padma, Jamuna, Meghna and most of their tributaries, but the species is thought to have gone extinct in the country due to unchecked poaching for its prized skin. Although the IUCN in 2000 declared the mugger regionally extinct in Bangladesh, three adult muggers were recovered from the country’s river and water bodies in only 11 days, Oct. 17-28 this year. The crocodiles were taken to the Karamjol Crocodile Breeding Centre in Khulna, and authorities are working on how muggers could be brought back to nature by increasing their population through captive breeding. On Oct. 17,2023 , a mugger crocodile ( Crocodylus palustris), also zoologically known as a marsh crocodile, was recovered from the Bhubaneswar River in Bangladesh’s south-central Faridpur district, creating much excitement among local people, as the reptile species had not been seen in the locality in the last 70 years. Founded marsh crocodile in oct 17,2023

10. Current status (Bangladesh) cntd . Three days after this crocodile recovery in Faridpur, on Oct. 21, 2023 locals caught an 80-kilogram (175-pound) female mugger from a wetland in Sujanagar upazila in Pabna district, about 130 kilimeters to the West of Dhaka. Finally, on Oct. 28,2023 local people caught another adult female mugger from the Mygram beel (wetland) of Lohagara upazila in Narail district and handed it over to the forest department. All three muggers were later taken to the forest department’s Wildlife Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre in Khulna. According to the IUCN Bangladesh, the mugger crocodile was deemed to be regionally extinct in Bangladesh in 2000. the recent recoveries of the muggers have raised the question if the species still remain in the wild in the country.

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