TV
The Satkosia Tiger Reserve and its different sections will remain closed for tourists from the 6th to the 8th of January and again on the 17th and 18th of this month owing to scheduled bird and crocodile census. Saroj Panda, Division Forest Officer (DFO) of Satkosia Wildlife Division informed on Saturday that a crocodile census is set to commence from the evening hours of January 5 and will continue until the 8th.
“Crocodile census will begin in Satkosia from January 5 but since the day falls on a Sunday we will allow tourists until the afternoon following which recreational activities in the river will be suspended,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, Satkosia will again reopen on 9th January before remaining out of bounds for tourists on the 17th and 18th of this month for the bird census. All tourism-related activities, including boating in the Mahanadi River, will also be suspended along with a prohibition on local fishermen from entering the gorge during this period.
ALSO READ: 12 Gharial hatchlings re-released in Odisha’s Satkosia gorge
The census at Satkosia will cover a 23 km stretch along the Mahanadi River and will involve 70 staff members deployed across 14 teams from the Forest Department. Elaborate arrangements, including the use of country boats, have been made for the census activities.
Incidentally, last year’s census in the Satkosia was held around the roughly same time when the crocodile population had surged, with the number of mugger crocodiles rising to 97, and the population of gharials increasing to 14.
ALSO READ: Interstate relocation: Is Odisha’s Satkosia ready to revive its tiger population?
However, the DFO had also mentioned a decline in the number of birds visiting the Satkosia sanctuary last year with approximately 3,330 birds flocking to the gorge against 3,800 birds of 81 species in 2023.
