Bagerhat Correspondent :
Counting of almost extinct specie of crocodiles of saline water of Sundarban was ceremonially inaugurated by Zahir Uddin Ahmed, Conservator of the Forest of Khulna Circle at Mongla Forest Ghat in Bagerhat district on Sunday. At that time Md. Zahidul Karim, Officer for the Management and Preservation of the Wild Animals and Nature of Sundarbans , Md. Sayeedul Islam, DFO (Divisional Officer) of the Eastern Division of Sundarbans, Md. Sayeed Ali, DFO of the Western Division of Sundarbans and S.M. A. Rashid, Chief Executive of CARINAM(Centre for Advanced Research in National Resources & Management) were present in the function.
Zahir Uddin Ahmed, conservator of forest of Khulna Circle said in the opening ceremony, the enumeration of the crocodiles of saline water living in Sundarbans is being conducted by the joint venture of the forest department and CARINAM and they survey is being done by a team consists of 40 members in the entire Sundarban forest in order to ascertain the number of crocodiles of Saline water specie living ins the forest with the financial assistance of the World Bank. According to the enumeration of 1985, there were as many as 200 crocodiles of saline water specie in Sundarban forest. But no survey of the crocodiles of the forest was done during the last 30 years. Crocodile Expert Md. Abdur Rhman, former Officer of Karamjal crocodile breeding centre, situated in the Eastern Division of Sundarban forest apprehends, the number of crocodiles of saline water was reduced to below one hundred.
