CONSERVATION OF CROCODILE – A CASE STUDY IN BHAGABATPUR, WEST BENGAL

Habitat loss has been primary factor endangering the Indian crocodiles. They are the key predators in wetland and Marine environment for millions of years. Differing little from their prehistoric ancestors that stalked the earth before the dinosaurs, crocodiles have survived major upheavals i.e. the breakup of the world’s continents and the ice-ages. Today, crocodiles are one of the few remaining links to the prehistoric part. Crocodile hunting was banned in India in 1972, but by that time all three species found in the country (the gharial, the saltwater crocodile and the mugger or marsh crocodile) were on the verge of extinction. The increased used of nylon fishing nets resulted in the accidental death and decrease of many baby or young crocodiles. The present paper aims of explain the role of crocodiles in ecosystem and their conservation with the help of a case study in Bhagabatpur of South 24 Parganas.