2 crocodiles found dead in Kota river
KOTA: Two crocodiles were found dead near Deoli Arab village in Kota’s Chandraloi river, a tributary of the Chambal river, on Tuesday.
Experts suspect man-animal conflict, territorial fight or poll uti on c ould be t he r e ason behind the deaths.
The bodies of the crocodiles — an 11-foot long male crocodile and a 7-foot long female crocodile — were brought to the wildlife department’s nursery in Deoli Arab by a rescue team the wildlife department, where an the autopsy was done by a team of three veterinary doctors.
Dr Akhilesh Pandey, who along with two other vets, conducted the autopsy, said, “While the male crocodile is 60 years old, the female one is 7 to 8 years old .”
He said while respiratory failures, lung congestion and hoemorrhage were found in both the crocodiles, the fore limbs of the male crocodile were found cut, which could be cut around six months ago. While there were also internal wound of some heavy stone, he added.
The younger crocodile is a sub adult and its maxilla (upper jaw) had compound fractured, he said.
The wounds of the sub-adult crocodile are t wo- day- ol d, whereas the elder crocodile also died 24 hours back, he said.
He said that while the stomach of the sub adult crocodile was found empty, polythene were recovered from the body of elder crocodile, which indicate pollution in the river.
After the autopsy both the crocodiles were buried in the nursery.
When asked about the death of the crocodiles from deputy conservator of forest, wildlife department, Kota, T Mohanraj, he said, “We do not know the reasons yet and anything could be said after a probe.”
However, there are reports of injuries either due to stone pelting, territorial fights or pollution which needs to be probed, he said.
“Man-animal conflict or pollution cannot be ruled out as reason behind the death of crocodiles as polythene has been recovered from the crocodile,” he said.
He said that wildlife department will lodge an FIR in the death of the crocodiles which falls under schedule 1 of the Wildlife protection act (WPA).
While the wildlife activists blame pollution in the Chandraloi river as the cause of the man animal conflict and death of crocodile.
Tapeshwar Singh Bhati, wildlife activist, said, “Due to industrial pollution in the Chandraloi river, there is lack of food for the crocodiles in the river due to which they eat affluents and attack human habitations along the banks which became reason for man-animal conflict so pollution should be checked in the river.”