06-bioresourcesstatu.. - M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

Bhitarkanika
Mammals: Among the mammalian fauna, the
leopard (panthera pardus) thrived in this area
but its existence is doubtful at present. During the
last 26 years, only once it was spotted in the
Bhitarkanika forest block by the author (S.K.K) in
August 1987. But local people reported that there
was a good population of panthers in
Bhitarkanika and incidents of attack on man and
animal (domestic) were narrated by them. The
other important mammals sighted from this site
are wild boar, monkey, spotted deer, fishing cat
and sambaI'.
Birds: Kar (1991) prepared a checklist of birds, in
which 170 species of birds have been identified in
Bhitarkanika sanctuary and later Patnaik et al
(1999) added another 29 species to its list.
(Annexure - 2) Bhitarkanika provides feeding,
perching, roosting, nesting facilities etc. for
thousands of resident, local migratory and long
distance migratory birds.
Reptiles: Bhitarkanika is one of the few
sanctuaries in the world where a number of rare
and endangered reptili'lll species (Annexure - 2)
are seen thriving in good numbers, but there is
much human pressure on their habitats.
Bhitarkanika holds the largest population of
endangered estuarine crocodiles in India. Due to
combination of poaching and habitat loss, the
population of Estuarine crocodile. (Grocodylus
porosus) is reduced to only 29 adults, six subadults
and 61 juveniles (Kar and Bustard, 1989) as
per the 1976-77 census. In 1975, the Forest
Department, Government of Orissa established a
Salt Water Crocodile Research and Conservation
Centre at Dangmal in the heart of the sanctuary
with the purpose of quickly multiplying the
population using the 'grow and release' technique
(Kar, 1981 and Kar and Patnaik 1999). Details are
as follows:
To strengthen the depleted population in nature,
2100 captive reared young crocodiles (above 1.0
meter) of the captive rearing center have been
released into the rivers and creeks of the
sa~ctuary (Kar and Bustard, 1991 and S. K. Kar
pers com). Census of crocodiles in Bhitarkanika
river systems have been taken up to assess the
population status, number, size class, sex
composition, movement pattern survival etc. of
crocodiles including their habitat features.
The mass nesting or arribada (a Spanish term of
mass arrival) of Olive Ridley turtles have been
182
taking place for several decades at Gahirmatha
beach which is about 35 km. long. It is the largest
turtle rookery of its kind in the world (Bustard,
1976). A minimum of 0.5 lakb to a maximum of 7.4
lakb female turtles visit the beach for nesting each
year. Mass nesting occurs usually once or twice in
a nesting season during the period from late
December to April.
Table 5 : Census of Crocodiles
Year Halchlng Yearlings Juveniles Sub.adull Adutt Tolal
1995.96 304 71 34 21 10 511
1996.97 136 232 161 63 68 660
1997.98 252 106 121 113 76 668
1998-99 149 146 160 144 72 672
1999-2000 319 181 123 145 146 914
2000-2001 341 277 237 136 107 109S
Snakes : (Order: Squamata) include the deadly
poisonous species such as King Cobra
(Ophiophagus hannah) locally known as
Jhadakhalua, Indian Rock Python (Python
molurus) etc. The lizards include largest Indian
Hzard (water monitor), Varanus salvator,
Varanus flavescens (Biswas and Kar, 1982). other
lizards are chameleons (Ghameleo n zeylanicus)
Garden lizards (Galotes versicolor) etc.
(Annexure - 2).
Amphibia: There are 5 species of amphibians so
far recorded in the mangrove swamps of
Bhitarkanika (annexure -2).
Fish: Mangrove areas support a range of
interconnected food web which directly sustain the
fisheries. Algae and detritus sustain shrimps and
prawns which provide a food source for species
such as Bhekti (Lates sp.) Cat fishes etc. Many
fish and prawn species spend most of \their adult
life time at sea and return to the mangrove areas
where they spend their early life up to adulthood
and then return again to the 3ea for breeding and
spawning. (Annexure - 2)
Invertebrates : The invertebrates fauna include
macro fauna and meiofauna_ As many as 60
genera and 64 species of sedimentary macro fauna
are found to be inhabiting in the littoral sediments
of Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem. As such
meiofauna comprising of 35 genera and 55 species
belonging to sixteen families_ Among the
invertebrates crustacean, protozoans, molluscs
and zoo plankton are the important ones and
found to be inhabiting the mangrove estuarine
sediments. The study carried out on invertebrates