For the first time in Asia, two crocodiles have been set free into a river after installing a satellite transmitter on their backs.
Sri Lankan crocodile expert Dr Ru Somaweera and Australia’s Dr Paul, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Forest Department and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), installed the transmitter on two crocodiles named Juliet and Madhu. The two saltwater crocodiles were then released into the Bhadra River in the Sundarbans on Wednesday.
According to sources, the crocodiles were recovered from Karamjal breeding centre and Michael Madhusudan Dutt's village home.
Dr Abu Naser Mahasin Hossain, divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans West Forest Division, confirmed the matter. He said, through this procedure, the movement of crocodiles, the survival rate of the animals will be known.
Howladar Azad Kabir, officer-in-charge of the Karamjal Wild Animal Breeding Centre, said the program started from Wednesday. One of the crocodiles was released into the river in the evening and another at 9pm.
Muhammad Nurul Karim, divisional forest officer of Sundarban East Forest Division, alongside Dr Abu Naser Mahasin Hossain, divisional forest officer of Sundarban West Forest Division, Nirmal Kumar Pal, divisional forest officer of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, and Sarwar Alam, country director of IUCN, were present during the release of the crocodiles.
