The battle to save the crocodiles of Bhitarkanika

The revival of crocodiles at the national park in Odisha is a robust example of conservation

A turquoise boat stands tethered to a pole in a delta off the Bay of Bengal. A young girl points at something near the boat. “Take a look at this, have you ever seen a snail so big?” she asks her sister who promptly kneels by the water to take a closer look, camera in hand.

Behind them are shops selling vadas, bananas, biscuits and fruit bread. Unexpectedly, a shopkeeper begins to yell at the sisters, saying, “Paaniru durei jao, paaniru durei jao.” That’s Oriya for “Get away from the water.”

It’s only when the girls are on another boat