Sliver of hope: on survey of saltwater crocodiles, conservation

The recent survey of saltwater crocodiles in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve is a notable advance for conservation in India. The census indicates a rise in overall numbers and demographic diversity, implying an ecological success that is also a marker of how wildlife law and conservation policy are gradually moving beyond their fixation on a handful of charismatic species, including the tiger and the elephant. In the early years of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, protection was disproportionately directed at megafauna whose appeal could mobilise public opinion. Saltwater crocodiles do not command the same affection, so their recovery demonstrates how the statutory framework, when coupled with targeted interventions such as the Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project, can yield durable gains even for less prominent species. In many countries, reptiles continue to receive weaker safeguards, often subordinated to fisheries or land-use concerns. The increase in Sundarban crocodiles suggests that India’s model of combining blanket legal protection with site-specific captive breeding and release programmes has been effective. But in absolute terms, the law still has gaps: it does not adequately anticipate emerging threats linked to climate change, rising salinity or habitat fragmentation. Protection has also been reactive.

As hypercarnivorous apex predators, crocodiles regulate prey populations and remove carcasses from water channels, contributing to the health of mangroves. Thus, their presence signals that creeks and rivers still sustain a functioning food web despite immense pressures from human settlement, cyclones and sea-level rise. Better juvenile survival also indicates that the breeding habitat retains sufficient quality. This is an important ecological marker for the delta, where rising salinity and erosion are narrowing the niches available to wildlife. If the crocodile population can establish a stable age structure, it may bolster the resilience of the Sundarbans’ mangrove networks. The species’ trajectory also highlights what can be done for other neglected ones. Current Schedules under the Act should be accompanied by proactive, well-funded recovery plans, and public communication strategies need to be recalibrated. The crocodiles did not gain numbers because they became beloved but because conservation agencies invested in their protection. A similar shift in focus can support other species. Climate change integration is also essential. Saltwater crocodiles tolerate wide salinity ranges but many amphibians or freshwater reptiles do not. Anticipatory measures including identifying climate refugia and enabling assisted breeding are thus required. The recovery illustrates that non-charismatic species can benefit from law and policy with sustained attention. For India, the lesson is that a richer, more inclusive, vision of conservation is possible and necessary.