Along the West Deo River in Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve, a forest team scans the waterline. A pair of eyes breaks the surface. Further downstream, another crocodile basks on a sandy bank.
For conservationists, these sightings mean more than another reptile counted in a survey.
They are signs of a river system that is holding steady.
The latest census has recorded 84 mugger crocodiles, up from 81 last year, reversing a decline that continued for two consecutive years.
The increase may seem small. But for a species that depends on healthy rivers, abundant prey, and secure nesting grounds, those three additional crocodiles tell an encouraging story about the health of an entire ecosystem.
A positive shift
The census, conducted between January 6 and 8 this year, covered 20 locations across eight major water bodies within Similipal. More than 100 forest personnel, working in nearly 30 teams, surveyed rivers, streams, and wetlands across the reserve.
Their final count stood at 84 mugger crocodiles.
The figure marks a welcome turnaround after a dip in recent years.
Similipal recorded 81 crocodiles in 2021, 83 in 2022, and 86 in 2023. The numbers then declined to 82 in 2024 and 81 in 2025.
The rise from 81 to 84 crocodiles will not transform the species’ future overnight. But conservation is often built through steady gains rather than dramatic leaps. Photograph: (CrocAttack)
This year’s increase has pushed the population back up to 84, breaking the downward trend.
The West Deo River remains the species’ strongest habitat in Similipal, accounting for 60 crocodiles.
Of the total population, 78 were recorded in the South Similipal division, one in the North Similipal division, and five at the Ramatirtha Mugger Crocodile Breeding Centre.
Why crocodiles matter
Mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) are often seen as fearsome animals. But for ecologists, they play a crucial role in maintaining healthy freshwater ecosystems.
As apex predators, they help regulate fish populations, remove weak or diseased prey, and influence how other species use river habitats.
Their survival is closely linked to the health of the water bodies they inhabit.
A river that can support crocodiles must also support fish, aquatic vegetation, nesting sites, and a wider web of life. For this reason, crocodiles are often considered indicators of ecosystem health.
The mugger crocodile is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and populations across South Asia continue to face threats from habitat loss and shrinking freshwater ecosystems. Photograph: (Roundglass Sustain)
When their numbers remain stable or increase, it suggests that the river system beneath them is functioning well.
In a landscape as biodiverse as Similipal, that matters far beyond the future of a single species.
The Ramatirtha model
At the heart of these conservation efforts is the Ramatirtha Mugger Crocodile Breeding Centre.
Hatchlings raised at the facility are periodically released into rivers and water bodies across the landscape, including the Deo, Khairi, and Budhabalanga river systems.
The goal is simple: strengthen wild populations while giving young crocodiles a better chance of surviving their most vulnerable years.
Forest officials attribute the latest increase largely to these releases, along with continuous habitat protection and monitoring.
The annual census also plays an important role. By tracking where crocodiles occur and how populations change over time, forest managers can identify emerging threats and adapt conservation measures when needed.
A forest that is responding to protection
The story of Similipal’s crocodiles is also a story of what long-term conservation can achieve.
Unlike wildlife recoveries that make headlines overnight, this progress has come through years of fieldwork, habitat management, and scientific monitoring.
The mugger crocodile is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and populations across South Asia continue to face threats from habitat loss and shrinking freshwater ecosystems.
Against that backdrop, Similipal offers a hopeful example.
The rise from 81 to 84 crocodiles will not transform the species’ future overnight. But conservation is often built through steady gains rather than dramatic leaps.
Three crocodiles may not sound like a breakthrough. Yet in the rivers of Similipal, they represent the impact of sustained conservation efforts, careful monitoring, and habitat protection working together.
For a species that has survived for millions of years, and for the rivers that sustain it, that is a promising sign.
