Archive · 1 Feb 2026
Five Crocodiles Die at Odisha's Nandankanan Zoo
Five crocodiles died at a zoo in Odisha, India, over eight days.
The zoo is trying to find out why.
These crocodiles were raised from eggs collected from a national park.
The park is home to many crocodiles, and their numbers have been growing.
Odisha is the only place in India with three types of crocodiles.
Scientists are checking the health of the other crocodiles in the zoo.
Five estuarine crocodiles died at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha between January 23 and 30.
The crocodiles were raised from eggs collected from Bhitarkanika National Park and kept in captivity for demonstration and research.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crocodiles' deaths, with post-mortems conducted and health monitoring in place.
Bhitarkanika National Park is a key habitat for estuarine crocodiles, with a population of 1,858 as per the latest estimation.
Odisha is the only state in India where three species of crocodiles—saltwater, gharial, and mugger—inhabit the river systems.
- Who
- Nandankanan Zoological Park officials, researchers, and veterinarians
- What
- Deaths of five captive estuarine crocodiles
- When
- Between January 23 and 30
- Where
- Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
- Why
- Cause of death is under investigation
- Location
- Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
- Species
- Estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles
- Number of Deaths
- 5
- Time Period
- January 23-30
- Investigation Team
- Researchers and veterinarians from the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology
- Habitat
- Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha
- Current Population
- 1,858 estuarine crocodiles (as per Saltwater Crocodile Estimation-2026 report)
- Conservation Status
- Bhitarkanika National Park is home to 70% of India's estuarine crocodiles
