Much to the joy of crocodile lovers, the 9.2-feet-long female albino Gori, which is said to be the treasure trove of Bhitarkanika National Park, has laid eggs in the pen on Sunday after a gap of five years.
Kanika Ranger Akhaya Kumar Nayak said the 41-year- old captive reptile, which is one of the rare albinos in Asia sub continent, laid around 40 eggs and was guarding the eggs since Sunday evening at the Dangamal Research Centre. The eggs of Gori are bigger in size than the ones it had laid in 2011.
In July, 2011, Gori had laid around 20-30 eggs, but later hatchlings did not come out from the eggs as they were infertile. The forest personnel are now optimistic that this time hatchlings may come out after 45 to 60 days. “Earlier, Gori was staying in 10 decimal of pen, but in 2014, it was expanded to 110 decimal area. Similarly, the pen of Hyderabadi located near Gori’s pen has also been expanded to the nearby creek for its free movement in natural atmosphere. So either Hyderabadi or any of the male crocodile inhabiting in the wild might have entered into the pen and mated with Gori,” stated Nayak.
The forest officials had tried in the year 1985, 1987, 1990 and 1992 for the mating of the albino crocodile by releasing wild male crocodile in the pen. But the search for her male partners was stepped after Gori had turned violent and injured the male partner which was forced into the pen. She had lost her left eye in the battle.
“When the female reptile attains adulthood, she normally lays eggs irrespective of whether the female reptile generally mates with a male or not .The female reptile lays 20-30 infertile eggs and guards the eggs. When hatchling does not emerge from the eggs, the reptile destroys then,” said Nayak.