The forest personnel on Thursday spotted a couple of nests of estuarine crocodile within the Kanika range. The nests were found at Ganjeikhia and Bhramaramari, said official sources. The female reptiles lay eggs inside the mangrove forest near the water bodies of the park areas and guard the eggs till the emergence of the hatchlings. Generally, a crocodile comes to lay eggs by forming nest at the place or its nearby place where it was born, since it was acquainted with the place.
During the nesting season, the crocodile lays eggs by creating mount like structure of nest with mangrove leaves. Generally hatchlings emerge from the nest after a gap of about 60 to 70 days. As the female crocodiles here inhabiting in Bhitarkanika grow up to 14 feet, so they give 50 to 70 eggs. If the length of a female crocodile grows more than 14 feet, then the female crocodile lays more eggs.
Out of the laid eggs, 10 per cent eggs generally are destroyed by predators whereas 50 per cent are found infertile. As a result hatchlings emerge 20-30 per nests, informed official sources. Notably, the Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division imposed a three months’ ban, from May 1 to July 31 to count the crocodile nests in the water bodies of the Bhitarkanika Park and nearby rivers.