Entry of tourists banned in Bhitarkanika National Park for 3 months from 1 May

A 3-month ban from 1 May has been imposed on tourists to the Bhitarkanika National Park. This ban to the wetland sites is because this period is the breeding season of salt-water crocodiles. Human interference disturbs the reptiles and they often turn violent and attack intruders during this period. The ban period will continue till July 31 and, tourists would not be allowed access to crocodile-infested areas of Bhitarkanika, Dangamala and Ragadapati forest blocks.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 April 2016.

The sound of mechanized boats ferrying tourists and forest officials disturbs the crocodiles. The females lay eggs near the waterbodies in the mangrove forests and guard them till the hatchlings emerge. However, locals illegally enter the forest areas to collect honey and wood. The park has vast expanse of mangrove cover and wetland spots and is considered to be an ideal eco-tourism destination for camping, trekking and picnics. The major attractions are its saltwater crocodiles and migrant avian species and the tourists enjoy boat rides to the mangrove-covered waterbodies. Incidentally, as per a census carried out in January 2016, there are 1,671 salt-water crocodiles in the Bhitarkanika river system. And, nine years ago, the world' s largest crocodile (23feet) was found here and it made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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West Bengal to market the Sunderbans as a tourist hub – not only tigers

In an effort to woo tourists, West Bengal is hoping that the Sunderbans would attract tourists because the Sunderbans is not only about Royal Bengal tigers but also about the world's largest mangrove forest. The focus is shifting from the tiger to the lesser highlighted strengths of the Sunderbans. Tigers can easily be seen at Tiger Reserves in Ranthambore, Pench, Bandavgarh or Tadoba.
This is reported in telegraphindia.com dated 2 February 2016.

AS admitted by the joint director of Bengal tourism, most tourists come to the Sunderbans to see a tiger, only to realize that the terrain is very difficult and not like in other popular tiger sanctuaries. Therefore,plans are afoot to offer other attractions of the Sunderbans to the tourists. These would include - the mangrove forest, the local community and their lives, the rich flora and fauna.
Setting eyes on a tiger here is more about luck than effort because the sanctuary can be toured only by boat. One drawback is that there is no jeep or elephant safari to take tourists right into the tiger's lair. Incidentally, most tourists drop in on the Sunderbans for two to three days and it is not feasible to cover this whole area by boat within such a short span.
Among other attractions are the Saltwater Crocodile - the male of the species measures between four and five metres in length and weighs 400 to 1,000kg and is believed to be the largest of all living reptiles in the world. Then there is the Irrawaddy Dolphin apart from seven types of kingfishers and the endemic Masked Finfoot.


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Big game hunters can pay £15,000 a time and shoot saltwater crocodiles in Australia

Big game hunters can have a great time in Australia shooting saltwater crocodiles by paying £15,000 - to bag a trophy reptile. They could be setting their sights on the crocs in Australia's tropical northern territories by the end of the year.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 23 June 2015.

The government feels that launching crocodile safaris in the north would bring in a much-needed revenue boost for Aboriginal communities. Accordingly, the announcement has been made in spite of fierce objection from the country's conservationists.
It may be recalled that this so-called 'trophy hunts' had been rejected early last year. The environment minister had branded them as inappropriate and added that they risk 'cruel and inhuman' behavior. However, all ministers do not think the same because such safaris would be a boost for the indigenous communities that live in the region.
Indigenous affairs minister Nigel Scullion argued that Aboriginal communities should be given the option of selling permits to shoot a small number of crocodiles.
Incidentally, the population of saltwater crocodiles is on the rise in the Northern Territory since they were declared a protected species and, by allowing hunting, the annual cull will give an economic boost to the Aboriginal communities.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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