Albino Croc carcass retrieved from Bhitarkanika National Park

Carcass of a 12-foot-long albino estuarine crocodile was retrieved from Khola riverbed in Bhitarkaika national park in Odishas Kendrapara district, a Forest official said Sunday.

The body of the adult albino species bore injury marks and it was suspected to have been caught in the fishing net, the official said.

The carcass has been sent for post-mortem and the exact cause of its death could be ascertained after the autopsy report is available, he said.

Noting that the animal is accorded 'protected' status under wildlife legal provisions, the official said a case under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 has been registered.

It is suspected that the croc might have fallen prey to fishing activity in water-bodies and got entangled in fishing nets before dying, sources said.

Four decades ago when the Central Government and United Nations Development Programme thought of saving crocodiles, there were hardly three to four nests detected in the area while the population of salt-water crocodiles in Bhitarkanika area was estimated to be 95, including 34 adults. Now, the population has swollen to 1698.

Bhitarkanika national park continues to be one of the best natural abode for estuarine crocodiles. The national park is stated to house about 70 per cent of Indias saltwater crocodiles, conservation of which was started way back in 1975, officials said.