Surprisingly though, the government-run crocodile breeding centre at Karomjal in Chandpai Range under the East Wing of Sundarbans Forest Division (SFD) has not received any fund for feeding the carnivorous reptiles during the last three months.
Started with six saltwater baby crocodiles in 2002, the centre has now a total of 143 small and big saltwater crocodiles, including the 59 babies coming out of their eggshells on Monday and Tuesday.
It was established on eight acres of land at a cost of Tk 32 lakh under the government's Biodiversity Preservation Project to save the crocodile population from extinction.
But the centre is now beset with manifold problems including fund crisis and lack of staff and modern equipment for proper maintenance of the giant reptiles.
Deputy Forest Ranger of SFD Md Abdur Rob has been working as supervisor of the breeding centre for the last three years.
He has some training and expertise in crocodile rearing but only two employees of the centre are too inadequate to assist him for the purpose.
"Providing adequate food for crocodiles in the breeding centre has become a problem due to fund crisis. At least one lakh taka is needed per month to maintain the centre while government allocation for it is less than half. Besides, I did not get any money to buy food for the carnivorous creatures during the last three months. I have asked for urgent fund for the purpose," Abdur Rob said.
In addition to the existing ten pans used for safe rearing of the crocodiles, the centre needs ten more pans, each measuring around 100 feet in length and 35 feet in width, the official said.
Among the three species of crocodiles in Bangladesh, only saltwater crocodiles have maintained their existence while marsh crocodiles and gharials have become nearly extinct, he said.
Source : The Daily Star
