With the release of crocodiles tagged with satellite transmitters into the Bhadra River in the Sundarbans, we have entered a new era in efforts to protect the nationally endangered crocodile population. The initiative began on March 13 with Juliet, a 100 kg, 3-meter-long captive female crocodile, and over the past week, three others, including a wild saltwater crocodile, have been released. The Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD), conducting the study, has started receiving valuable data from the transmitters. This data will enhance the understanding of the crocodile population in the Sundarbans Reserved Forest, including their movement, territorial distribution, nesting hotspots, and mortality rates.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), collaborated with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) to support BFD to carry out this study. Two experts from Australia,IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, Dr. Ruchira Somaweera and Mr. Paul Beri, were there to provide technical guidance to that effort.
#biodiversity #sunderbans #conservation #CrocodileTagging
