Bhopal: A total of 24 crocodiles were seen in the two-day count at Kaliasot and Kerwa Dam in the Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal. Of these, 6 are adults.
The counting has taken place for the second time in Bhopal. For the first time the counting was done in February-2022. Then 22 crocodiles were seen.
A total of 24 crocodiles were sighted during the two-day survey. These include 6 adult crocodiles,10 sub-adults, 4 juveniles and 4 hatching. The length of an adult is more than 9 feet. All adults are under 6 feet and juveniles are under 3 feet.
Forest Department officials say that there could be many more crocodiles in Kerwa-Kaliasot. That's why the process of survey will continue. Usually in February, crocodiles are found sunbathing on the ground. This time, as the counting is done in June, the crocs had moved into water. Therefore there could be more then 24 crocodiles.
Gharials not seen
Gharials were not seen in the 2-day survey. Last time two gharials were seen. However, two species of softshell turtle have also been found.
According to experts, February is the best month for counting crocodiles. Crocodiles are cold blooded creatures. That's why they definitely come out to sunbathe. This time the counting was done in June. Because of this the crocodiles went under water. The same reason has come to the fore for gharials as well. Officials say that the survey has been started on the occasion of Crocodile Day.
Another reason was the noise. During the survey on Saturday too, there was a lot of noise of vehicles and a huge crowd of fishermen. The officers of the Forest Department had removed them. Due to the crowd, crocodiles and gharials went under water.
The surveyors included aquatic biologist Dr. Hrishikesh Sharma, SDO Bhadoria, Forest Range Officer Samardha Shivpal Piparde, DP Srivastava of Tinsa Foundation.
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