Status profile - 7
Crocodile Conservation in Kerala - KGM Pillai

Kerala, flanked by the coast line in the west and the ghat regions in the east, interspread with 41 west flowing and three east flowing rivers with many lakes and lagoons; is located between latitude 80 18' and 120 48' and longitude 740 52' and 770 22'. The climate is of the monsoon type with a dry season lasting about four months from January to April. The temperature is moderate due to the influence of the sea and the altitude. High productivity of the soil and heavy rainfall have formed luxuriant vegetation in the state which supports the magnificent fauna. However, due to over utilization there is impoverishment of the wildlife and regression of the habitat in Kerala.

The estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is locally extinct in Kerala, the last being shot in the post independent period near Thaneermukkom in Alleppey district where a remnant mangrove habitat still exists. "Sangham literature" has beautiful picturization of the nesting ecology and behaviour of the estuarine crocodiles of the erstwhile Malabar region. The large water bodies in the Malabar coast and the reservoir, lakes, lagoons and the temple ponds of the rest of the Kerala portions once boasted a large number of crocodiles. The local belief still holds that His Holiness Shri Sankaracharya, when a child, was bathing in the Periyar river when a mugger crocodile dragged him into the water; and it released the boy only when his mother agreed to the boy entering sanyasa. Crocodiles, indeed, are intrinsically related to the cultural milieu of the people of Kerala.

However, the decline in the population of the crocodilians has been precipitous in the first half of this century and catastrophic in the post-war period. The vast decline in the population of the crocodiles in Kerala came to the attention of the conservation agencies in the early 70's and joint efforts were made to salvage the crocodile from the threat of extinction.

 State Crocodile Conservation Programme

As a corollary to the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project, (Government of India/FAO/UNDP), crocodile conservation centres were also started in Kerala

Figure 6 - Crocodiles in Kerala ( Zoom the Map)

for mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) _ one at Neyyar dam (Trivandrum district) and another at Peruvannamoozhy (Calicut district) in 1977. During the period, the status survey revealed that the estuarine crocodiles were locally extinct in Kerala and the mugger were discontinuously distributed in low numbers in the waterbodies, especially of Neyyar reservior and Parambikulam reservoirs and in Kabani river near Waynnad. The population of the mugger crocodile then was less than 60 in the wild in the state. At the time, muggers were then exhibited in the Trivandrum Zoological Park and Trichoor Zoo without any facilities or attempts for captive breeding.

With a batch of 12 yearlings from the Madras Crocodile Bank and three specimens collected from nearby places, the captive rearing programme for mugger crocodiles started in the Neyyar Crocodile Centre. The centre with adequate infrastructural facilities continued to rear the mugger crocodiles. Currently, there is a surplus population of 192 mugger crocodiles of different age, size categories at this centre. There are also five large sized muggers in Peruvannammozhy. Due to paucity of funds, and means for other economical assistance, a low priority is given to the captive rearing and management including captive breeding programmes of mugger in the state.

 Crocodile Release and Monitoring

The mugger crocodiles were thrice released into Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Parambikulam Wildlife sanctuary where there there is a viable population in the state.

Periodic crocodilian census is carried out in the state to assess the population dynamics of mugger crocodiles in the state. The census carried out in 1991, 1994, 1997 have revealed that the population of mugger crocodiles in the wild has increased considerably and now there is a population of around 250 muggers in the various age, sex categories in the two protected areas in the state. However, the status of this reptile outside the protected areas is quite bleak and the threat still exists. There is also sufficient scope for the reintroduction of mugger crocodiles into many of the natural habitats still available, after observing the guidelines of release of a super predator.

 Man-Crocodile Conflicts

The crocodile attacks on man and his domestic stock and the injuries inflicted on human beings have raised much hue and cry. There have been references to the subject in the Legislative Assembly of the state. Many features on crocodiles-man conflict had also appeared in the media.

The largescale release of the mugger crocodiles into Neyyar reservoir, a part of the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, where the water is shared by man and the wild animals has created some conflicts. Most of the people who become victims of the crocodile attack belong to the localities like Mayam, Amboori, Thumbichikkadavu, Karimankulam, Puravimala, etc. In the Trivandrum district, where predominantly the tribals and the poor non-tribals reside, one woman lost her one arm in crocodile attack when she had come to the reservoir forwater at sunset. She was paid compensation and also a job in the crocodile rearing centre. Another man and woman lost one finger each in crocodile attack. The domestic animals and, in one case, a wild baby elephant were also attacked by the mugger crocodiles in Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

However, an analysis of the crocodile attacks reveals that the cases are negligible and could be averted by meaningful education and extension programmes on the ecology and the behaviour of the super predator. The Kerala Forest Department has started an education and extension programmes on wildlife, especially on crocodiles in the local areas around Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary and the situation has now improved considerably. People have now started to appreciate the biological necessities of the mugger crocodiles.

 The Future

 
However, the abrupt winding up of the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project and its activities including the central government assistance after the first phase of programme, has created problems for successful crocodile conservation in India, and Kerala is no exception. The expertise and experience gained by the personnel remain unutilized for crocodiles rearing and management and the personnel are now attending to work related to general biodiversity conservation. There is an urgent need to revitalize the crocodile conservation programmes in all the identified centres and earnest efforts are necessary to switch over to at least a few pilot commercial crocodile farms, taking into account the potential of the species for national welfare.