Once again in the latest outbreak of man-crocodile conflict, a preying estuarine crocodile allegedly attacked a 30-year-old man on Monday when the victim entered river Baitarani for a wash. The injured person has been identified as Budhadeb Parida, resident of Sahupada village under Badaambila GP.
Budhadeb Parida managed to rescue himself from the salt water crocodile’s clutches, sustaining injuries on his left hand.
The outbreak of the man-reptile conflict has claimed at least three human lives, including two women, in this month alone while more than half a dozen persons were injured since January. The human retaliation on the other hand, resulted in the death of at least two giant-size adult crocodiles.
On Saturday, one Sanjulata Behera, 30, the spouse of Padmalochana Behera, a resident of Mahurigaon village under Baghabuda GP in Rajkanika PS died when a salt water crocodile pounced on her while she was washing utensils in the Kharasrota river. The ill-fated woman’s body was fished out on Sunday from the river.
On August 10, crocodiles had killed a septuagenarian Anadi Barik in the Kharsrota river near Ranipokhari ghat while he was going for a wash in the river water. Similarly, on August 4, Chanchala Digal (50) was allegedly killed under similar circumstances near a creek in Trilochanpur village under Dangmal GP.
“The reptiles are killing innocent villagers on the riverside at will. But the forest department considers crocodiles more precious than human beings. The crocodile conservation programme should be stopped or else people would begin killing these animals,” decried agitated villagers.
The number of crocodiles in the Bhitarkanika river system has been rising steadily, with the latest census indicating that 1,572 crocodiles inhabit the water bodies. There are official reports of saltwater crocodiles from the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary straying into the nearby rivers. With the breeding season of these reptiles on its peak, they have turned restive. Disturbed over human interference into their habitat, reptiles often run amok.
Lethal assaults by the reptiles and consequent retaliatory attacks by people has become a regular feature in this part of the State. About a dozen people and animals lose their lives each year, as a result of the conflict.
The conflict and consequent loss of human lives are more frequently recorded during the monsoon and winter months — the nesting season of the estuarine crocodiles. The animals in the wake of depleted food reserves in the river system stray into nearby rivulets, rivers and nullahs.
It has been observed that adult crocodiles, under normal circumstances, do not leave their territory to chase human beings but most often mishaps occur when the victims intrude into the animal’s habitat, for illegal fishing, poaching, fuel wood and honey collection.
The population of the reptiles has crossed the saturation point in the National park as a result the forest officials have been releasing baby crocodiles from the crocodile breeding centre each year to the nearby rivers and creeks. The areas of the Bhitarakanika water bodies are home to about 300 to 400 reptiles, but now 1572 salt water crocodiles are living in the rivers and creeks. Due to lack of proper food and space the reptiles move out of the park and kill human beings and cattle. The villagers in these areas rarely come outside in the night due to the crocodile threat, alleged local environmentalists.
