Death mystery of baby crocs solved

Leopard cat shot dead

The mystery of the missing baby crocodiles at the Koromjol breeding centre in the Sundarbans was solved on Sunday night. After suspecting an employee and a part-timer of poaching, the foresters found out that a leopard cat was to blame for the deaths. They shot the cat dead on Sunday.
Since January 29, 60 baby crocodiles went missing from the country’s only saltwater crocodile breeding centre, said forest officials. As many as 43 baby crocodiles went missing on that day from the enclosures of their parents, Romeo, the only surviving male saltwater crocodile in captivity in Bangladesh, and his partners Juliet and Pilpil.
Six of the baby crocodiles were later found dead around the centre. Body parts of another 18 were found in the forest.  On Sunday, another 17 went missing. There were originally 217 baby crocodiles.
Initially, the foresters suspected poachers. Two  employees at the breeding centre were suspected to have been involved in the theft. Of them, Mahbub Alam, a keeper, was suspended. The other, a part-time employee, Zakir Hossain, ran away after the authorities formed an inquiry committee under an assistant conservator of forests of Chandpai range, Mohammad Mehediuzzaman.
The divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans East range said: “We set up camera trappings around the centre after the 17 baby crocodiles went missing on Sunday. On the following night, the cameras showed a leopard cat on the prowl around the centre. It had eaten the baby crocodiles. Finally, we had to shoot him down as leopard cats are very fierce.” But he gave no reply on being asked why they had suspended the caretaker. The DFO only said that the three-member inquiry committee has not yet completed its investigation. They have now sought seven days, instead of two, to complete their probe.

 

Death mystery of baby crocs solved

Leopard cat shot dead

The mystery of the missing baby crocodiles at the Koromjol breeding centre in the Sundarbans was solved on Sunday night. After suspecting an employee and a part-timer of poaching, the foresters found out that a leopard cat was to blame for the deaths. They shot the cat dead on Sunday. Since January 29, 60 baby crocodiles went missing from the countrys only saltwater crocodile breeding centre, said forest officials. As many as 43 baby crocodiles went missing on that day from the enclosures of their parents, Romeo, the only surviving male saltwater crocodile in captivity in Bangladesh, and his partners Juliet and Pilpil. Six of the baby crocodiles were later found dead around the centre. Body parts of another 18 were found in the forest. On Sunday, another 17 went missing. There were originally 217 baby crocodiles. Initially, the foresters suspected poachers. Two employees at the breeding centre were suspected to have been involved in the theft. Of them, Mahbub Alam, a keeper, was suspended. The other, a part-time employee, Zakir Hossain, ran away after the authorities formed an inquiry committee under an assistant conservator of forests of Chandpai range, Mohammad Mehediuzzaman. The divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans East range said: We set up camera trappings around the centre after the 17 baby crocodiles went missing on Sunday. On the following night, the cameras showed a leopard cat on the prowl around the centre. It had eaten the baby crocodiles. Finally, we had to shoot him down as leopard cats are very fierce. But he gave no reply on being asked why they had suspended the caretaker. The DFO only said that the three-member inquiry committee has not yet completed its investigation. They have now sought seven days, instead of two, to complete their probe.