Crocodiles are seemingly performing the role of 'honourary forest guards' in the core area of the Wildlife sanctuary as fear of marauding crocs checked human intrusion in many areas of the sanctuary, forest officials aver.

Now the crocs' habitat is being expanded to areas subjected to wanton tree felling, the officials say. To stop frequent movement of villagers into the forest area, as many as 57 crocodiles were released last week into the water bodies in Kharinasi, Batighar, Ramnagar and Jamboo areas of the sanctuary.

These pockets, located at the southern-most part of the 672 square kilometre stretch sanctuary, are visibly marked by thinning forest cover.

A number of thickly populated human settlements dot the area within the sanctuary jurisdiction. Wanton felling of mangrove and conversion of green field in to paddy and shrimp cultivation is a pertinent feature in these parts, according to forest department sources.

"We are pressing into service these reptiles for forest conservation. Once crocodiles are firmly ensconced in the water inlets, human intrusion would be greatly curtained. Fear of croc attack would keep the human trespassers away from the water sources. As the people here take the water route to sneak into the forest, we feel the crocs may come in handy to protect the forest", observed Golakh Rout, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division.

The water bodies, nullahs and innumerable creeks that meander through this internationally-acclaimed wetland are inhabited by hundreds of salt-water crocodiles.