A saltwater crocodile attacked and killed a 58-year-old buffalo grazer in a village in close vicinity of the Bhitarkanika National Park in the Kendrapara district, said a forest official on Monday.
The victim identified as Ajambar Nayak, a native of Ichhapur village under Aul block, was preyed on by a crocodile while he was trying to ford a creek with a herd of buffaloes. The mutilated body of the victim was later found on the bank of the Kharasrota River, said Chittaranjan Beura, the forest range officer of the park.
The next kin of the deceased will be paid Rs 6 lakh ex gratia in accordance with the government’s compensation policy for humans killed by protected wild animals, the forest officer added.
The human and crocodile conflict in villages around Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district has assumed alarming proportions in the recent past with the estuarine crocodiles killing nine persons in the last year.
Lethal assault by the reptiles and consequent retaliatory attack by humans has become a regular feature in this part of the state. Most often, the mishaps occur when the victims intrude into the animal’s habitat, for illegal fishing, poaching, fuel wood collection, and honey collection.
The conflict and consequent loss of human lives are most frequently recorded during the monsoon and winter months, the nesting season of the estuarine crocodiles.
The salt-water crocodile population in Bhitarkanika has increased manifold from 96 in 1975 to 1,811 in 2024.