47 newborns in croc farm

Forty-seven crocodiles hatched from the eggs laid by crocodiles Juliet and Pilpil at Karamjol Crocodile Breeding Centre in East Sundarbans.

Twenty-seven crocodiles were born from 48 eggs of Pilpil and 20 from 50 eggs of Juliet. The baby crocodiles, born in the incubators at the Karamjol Crocodile Breeding Centre, are doing well.

Officer-in-charge of the Centre Abdul Mannan told this correspondent that about three months ago, Pilpil laid 48 eggs while Juliet laid 50 eggs, which were kept under intensive care in separate incubators. The healthy baby crocodiles were born from the eggs of the two crocodiles after 85 days. No crocodiles were born from 51 eggs as some fetus died and some eggs did not fertilise. Out of the 47 baby crocodiles born, 80 percent are female.

The baby crocodiles were kept under intensive care and monitoring for 36 hours, and then released into the water bodies kept ready for them.

Abdul Mannan said crocodiles were born from eggs laid by Juliet since 2005. He said 16 crocodiles were born from Juliet's eggs in 2005, 26 in 2006, 29 in 2007, 30 in 2008, 27 in 2009, 20 in 2010, 27 in 2011 and 20 in 2016. Juliet will be capable of laying eggs for the next 40 years, he added.

Pilpil laid eggs for the sixth year. She will retain reproductive capacity for about 50 years.

Juliet and Pilpil laid a total of 621 eggs since 2005, and 482 baby crocodiles were born out of those. At different times, 101 baby crocodiles were released in Bangabandhu and Dulahazara Safari Parks, and in different rivers and canals in the Sundarbans.

Some 61 crocodiles -- big and small -- escaped from Karamjol Crocodile Breeding Centre in the tidal surge caused by the Cyclone Aila on May 15, 2009. Besides, some big animals from outside the breeding centre ate up 18 baby crocodiles. At present, there are 302 baby crocodiles at Karamjol.

Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarbans East Zone, M Saidul Islam, said the country's only government crocodile breeding centre was established in 2002 in Karamjol Forest Camp area with the initiative of the Department of Forest under "Sundarbans Biodiversity Conservation Project" to increase breeding and rearing of saltwater crocodile species, which is nearly extinct in Bangladesh.

The Centre started its journey with five small and big crocodiles caught in the nets of the fishermen at different rivers in the Sundarbans. Trained forest workers of Australia's International Wildlife Conservation Centre have been supervising the Centre from its start.

Karamjol Crocodile Breeding Centre has two adult female crocodiles and one male crocodile of saltwater species. The caretakers at the Centre named them Pilpil, Juliet and Romeo. Pilpil is 19 years old while Juliet and Romeo are aged 28 years. The average life span of a crocodile of saltwater species is 80 years to 100 years.