In its bid to increase mangrove cover along the Odisha coast, the State Government has decided to take up plantation over 1,000 hectares in four districts.
PARADIP: The activists of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti, the organisation spearheading anti-Posco movement, demonstrated at Balitutha on Friday ahead of Union Forest and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh visit to Bhitarkanika.
KENDRAPARA: The Forest Department has banned tourists and visitors from venturing into Bhitarkanika National Park from May 15 to July 31 during mating and breeding of salt-water crocodiles. The department will also renovate five ponds at the Crocodile Breeding Centre at Dangamala within the park, said Prasanna Kumar Behera, DFO, Bhitarkanika National Park.
BHUBANESWAR: Some of the critically-important coastal eco-systems of Orissa are set to get a special mention when the Centre restores the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 1991 with certain amendments shortly.
Both Bhitarkanika and Chilika figure in the draft for the significance they hold to the Indian coast.
KENDRAPARA: With the onset of summer, the authorities of Bhitarkanika National Park have taken a number of measures to protect the animals and the birds from the scorching heat. Water holes have been dug up and curtains hung around pens of animals. Arrangements have also been made to ensure that there is adequate drinking water so that the animals do not suffer from dehydration.
At least 1,610 saltwater (estuarine) crocodiles were sighted by the Bhitarkanika forest personnel in the annual census of the crocodile, which was recently concluded at the creeks, rivulets and water bodies of the Bhitarkanika river system, said DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Forest Division PK Behera.
KENDRAPARA: As many as 70,000 birds of various species were spotted in the Bagagahan heronry during the four-day bird census in the Bhitarkanika National Park recently.
Park DFO Prasan Kumar Behera said high-tech Global Positioning System (GPS) was used for counting and sampling the avian species.
The census was carried out by a team of 15 forest officials and environmentalists.
In the Bombay Natural History Society Newsletter of April 1999, J C Daniel reports that the late raja of Kanika (a region that includes Bhitarakanika) had in his collection, a crocodile skull about a
