More at http://www.sanctuaryasia.com |In the Field
ABOVE A google earth view of the mud rampart and its surrounding moat adjoining Kotmi
Sonar village.
TOP and FACING PAGE Baba has become synonymous with the natural habitat of Kotmi Sonar,
for devoting his life to the welfare of its resident mugger crocodiles.a ditch (Parikhā). It is now in ruins. Its
magnanimity and historical signifi cance
can be estimated through its physical
features and archaeological fi ndings
suggest that the fort is around 2,500
years old.
PROTECTING CROCODILES – A
PARALLEL
Crocodilian science is relatively new,
with studies dating back nearly 300
years. Barring the two species, namely
the New Guinea crocodile and the
Philippine crocodile that were described
in 1928 and 1935 respectively, all
known crocodile species were described
between 1758-1828. However, our
associations with crocodiles are well
refl ected in mythology and folklore,
which provides us with a deeper sense
of association with the reptiles. Mugger
or ‘makara’ in Hindu mythology is the
vehicle of the river goddesses Ganga
and Narmada. With their motionless
vigilance and revered mystical powers,
the crocodiles provided the Kotmi Fort
with an added layer of defense and
in return the muggers had a suitable
habitat in the moat that surrounds the
fort. Intruders had to cross the Parikhā
to reach the Prākār. Needless to say,
no one dared to.
In 1961, British Zoologist Hugh B.
Cott fi rst drew the attention of the
scientifi c community towards the need
for crocodilian conservation. Around
the same time, a 25-year-old Sitaram
Das came to Kotmi from Uttar Pradesh.
Leaving behind the responsibilities of
family life, he began residing in the Ram
temple adjacent to the Jogia talab.
Over the years, Baba became familiarwith the natural habitat around him
and soon discovered that Jogia talab
was a nesting site for the muggers.
“As there are various ponds around
this area, it is ideal for muggers to
live in and in particular, the Lilagar
river, a tributary of Shivnath fl owing
by the village completes their habitat
requirement,” explains Baba. Wetland
estimate studies still refl ect the Janjgir-
Champa district with the highest
wetland area in Chhattisgarh.
Worldwide concern for crocodile
conservation gathered pace in 1971
when the IUCN created a Crocodile