A 38-year-old captive crocodile recently laid eggs without mating at Dangamal Crocodile Research Centre within the Bhitarkanika National Park. The crocodile is known as ‘Hyderabadi’.
According to forest official sources, the captive reptile laid around 20-30 infertile eggs and was guarding the eggs under a wrong impression that hatchlings will emerge soon.
It is a natural phenomenon. When a female reptile attains adulthood, she normally lays eggs whether it 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 them, said forest official sources.
“We are going to destroy the infertile eggs as there is every possibility that the female captive crocodile might skip her food in the process of guarding the infertile eggs,” said an official of the research center. Notably, the captive crocodile had failed to lay eggs for last several years.
According to official sources, ‘Hyderabadi’ was hatched at the Dangamal hatchery along with the albino Gori in 1975.