An eminent reptile researcher has termed as 'erroneous', the process of annual headcount operation of estuarine crocodiles inhabiting the waterbodies of Bhitarkanika national park in Odisha.
H R Bustard, who is credited with carrying out successful conservation in this part of the state, said, "the forest department is committing a blunder by including the baby and juvenile crocodiles in the list of enumerated animals".
"The entire process of the head-count operation is erroneous. I am of the strong view that only adults and sub-adults who are of six years or more age need to be covered under the enumeration," the researcher told PTI.
The eminent herpetologist under whose stewardship as many as 32 crocodile conservation projects were carried out during the 70's is on a visit to Bhitarkanika national park.
Those doing the headcount are aware that the mortality rate of baby and juvenile crocodiles is high, he said, adding the rate of survival is as low as 1 per 2000 species.
"Thus there is little logic in making count of the baby animals who are mostly likely to fall prey to natural predators in the wild," he argued.
The latest census figure shows that 1649 crocodiles are ensconced along the Bhitarkanika water bodies. But majority of them are not fully grown up and have not attained adulthood to survive the rogours of nature, he said.
