Hundreds of baby crocodiles break out of eggshells in Odisha's Bhitarkanika National Park

Hundreds of saltwater crocodile hatchlings have begun emerging from nests in the Bhitarkanika National Park making their way into creeks and water bodies in Odishas Kendrapara district an official saidThe annual hatchling emergence began three days ago and is expected to continue for nearly a fortnight as the tiny reptiles make their first journey from the nesting grounds to the water the official saidThe spectacle marks another successful breeding season for Bhitarkanika which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of Indias estuarine crocodile population The crocodile population in the national park has risen dramatically from 96 in 1975 when conservation efforts began to 1858 nowForest officials said 117 nesting sites were identified this year Female crocodiles generally lay 5060 eggs with hatchlings emerging after about 7080 days of incubationDespite the large number of eggs laid very few hatchlings survive to adulthood Hardly one in every 100 hatchlings grows into an adult said crocodile researcher Sudhakar Kar Young crocodiles face a high risk of predation by aquatic animals and other predators in the wildThe hatchlings emerge without their mothers and initially wander around the nesting sites before moving towards nearby creeks and water bodies Forest personnel have been keeping a safe distance from the nests to minimise disturbance as the reptiles can become aggressive when their habitat is disturbedThe crocodiles build their nests on elevated ground using mangrove twigs leaves and mud The sites are selected to remain free from monsoon inundation and receive adequate sunlight officials saidTo ensure an undisturbed nesting season Bhitarkanika was kept out of bounds for tourists and visitors from May 31 The restriction was lifted on July 31Although estuarine crocodiles are also found in the Sundarbans of West Bengal and the mangrove habitats of the Andaman Islands Bhitarkanika has a particularly high concentration and population of the speciesThe crocodiles are also an important component of the mangrove ecosystem Their presence keeps people away from the swampy forest patches indirectly helping protect the mangroves from illegal tree felling and poaching officials saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever