Kolhapur forest department succeeds in hatching 9 crocodile eggs in natural habitat

Kolhapur: In a first-of-its-kind conservation effort in the region, the Kolhapur forest department has successfully hatched crocodile eggs found along the Krishna river basin. The nine hatchlings were safely released into their natural habitat.

The eggs, discovered about 10 days ago on a riverbank field, were monitored in situ — an approach that paid off with all nine eggs hatching successfully within a short span due to their advanced maturity.

Nandkumar Nalawde, the range forest officer for Karveer, said, “A few days ago, crocodile eggs were found in a field on the banks of the Krishna river. This information was given to the forest dept by the Wildlife Conservation Society, Ichalkaranji. Instead of moving the eggs elsewhere, we decided to keep the eggs in the same natural habitat and monitor and protect them.”

He added, “Crocodile eggs usually hatch in 55 to 80 days. However, since these eggs were fully mature, nine hatchlings emerged safely within 10 days. Forest department veterinary officer Dr Santosh Walvekar examined the hatchlings and released them into their natural habitat. This was the first time in the Kolhapur division that such incubation of eggs was carried out.”

Following medical examination, the hatchlings were released into the same ecosystem, underscoring a conservation-first approach by the department.

Emphasising the ecological role of crocodiles, Nalawde appealed for public cooperation. “Destroying, moving or harming crocodile eggs is a serious offence under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” he said, urging people to alert authorities via the toll-free helpline 1926 if such nests are spotted.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of deputy conservator of forests Dhairyasheel Patil, and assistant conservator Vilas Kale, with field execution led by Nalawde and a team including wildlife warden Devendra Bhosale, forest ranger Sanjay Kamble and members of the Wildlife Rapid Rescue team.