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The Blue Marble: Indian Crocodiles Guard Dwindling Forests

Byoliveridley

This is an interesting and good side effect of releasing captive bred crocodiles back into the wild.

The Blue Marble: Indian Crocodiles Guard Dwindling Forests

Dozens of crocodiles bred in captivity in eastern India are protecting their endangered counterparts. Newly released into the wild, these giants are scaring away poachers bent on illegal fishing and timber harvesting in mangrove forests in the states of Orissa and West Bengal, reports Reuters. The disappearing mangroves have led to a steep decline in wild croc numbers, from several thousand a century ago to less than 100 in the early 1970s. But the same species has bred well in captivity and is now being used to solve its own problem. “The swelling number of released crocodiles in the wild is working as a deterrent and keeping people away from the mangrove as villagers are more cautious before venturing into the forests,” said Rathin Banerjee, a senior wildlife official. “Unlike guard dogs, crocodiles cannot be tamed and are ferocious and can attack anyone in the swamps.” .

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    Byoliveridley

    Where my home state of Tamil Nadu gets into the news for this bizarre story of parental pride gone too far.

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    Byoliveridley

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    Byoliveridley

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    The most important thing I read today (Indian Agriculture Edition)

    Byoliveridley

    Yes, I read the Times article about this subject too, but Tom Philpott and P. Sainath writer better and more eloquently.

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    For the enduring scam that is BT cotton, read this.