With Colombo’s waterways and marshes being home to saltwater crocodiles, should the people taking part in recreational activities around these be concerned?
With the emergence of walking paths, recreational paths and wetland parks around Colombo and the suburbs, reports of crocodile spotting have become more and more frequent. The likelihood of crocodiles being found around Weras Ganga walking path in Bellanvila, remains high, with crocodiles also being frequently spotted around Attidiya, Diyasaru wetland park and the Diyawanna Lake.
Despite the ongoing human – crocodile conflict, which exists in certain parts of the country, including in the Nilwala river, people in Colombo have more tolerance for crocodiles, since crocodiles surface in the mornings and evenings, according to Wildlife Biologist and Researcher, Dinal Samarasinghe. “Three years ago, people in Colombo would have thrown stones at the crocodile if they spotted one. Now, since the vegetation surrounding the canals around Colombo is cleared, and previously isolated waterways are connected, it is possible to spot the crocodiles that remained hidden all this time,” he says.
Despite the urbanization of the City of Colombo and its suburbs, it still remains an ideal habitat for crocodiles. The waterways and marshlands in Colombo provide ideal ecological conditions for crocodiles to live in and breed, Samarasinghe says.
“The species of crocodiles found in Colombo are referred to as Saltwater or Estuarine crocodiles. This is an adaptation to enable crocodiles to use the sea for their movements between the different waterways,” he says.
Saltwater crocodiles remain the most aggressive of all crocodile species, and are known for unprovoked attacks on humans, Samarasinghe says. If there is a fence separating the bank from the waterway, there is no threat to the people, however, the type of fence used in Bellanvila and other recreational parks, is not a proper deterrent, Samarasinghe says.
“The best design to deter crocodiles is a two-part fence, with the topmost bending towards the water body, such that it would disrupt the centre of gravity of the crocodile,” he says.
He recalls a recent incident where a person cutting grass along the bank of a marshland in Ragama was attacked by a crocodile. He says, people should remain alert along the banks where natural grass grow, since crocodiles use grass as nesting sites.
Although there were no recent attacks on those who kayak, as well as those who pluck gotukola along the banks of Bolgoda Lake, in the 1990s however, there were reports of crocodile attacks on the boatmen in Attidiya, Bellanvila and on Bolgoda Lake, he says. “Thus, those taking part in kayaking as a recreational activity should remain more vigilant, along with those who gather gotukola and kankung, and those who fish, on the banks of waterways.”
The human- crocodile conflict in the country is mainly related to the usage of water, where people without tap water step into the river for water. This remains one reason for the minimal human- crocodile conflict within the Colombo district, where the majority have access to tap water. Also, Samarasinghe says, due to the destruction of nesting sites, there are no recent records of the presence of crocodiles in the Kelani River, where most of the river bathing and washing in Colombo takes place.
Samarasinghe says, people should learn to coexist with these crocodiles since there is no direct harm from them, adding that crocodiles in Colombo have been there, throughout. “For example, Dr. P. E. P Deraniyagala notes that the Portuguese used to feed their prisoners to the crocodiles in the Diyawanna and Hanwella areas. H. C. P Bell’s records talk of crocodiles in Colombo in the 1800s, while Dr E. F. Kelart has recorded the presence of Saltwater crocodiles in the Mutwal river near Colombo, in his monumental work published in 1853.”
Saltwater Crocodile is one out of the two species of crocodiles found in Sri Lanka, the other species being the Marsh Crocodile. As per local assessment, saltwater crocodile is endangered, while globally it is a least concerned species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Crocodiles remain strictly protected under sub section 2, section 30 of the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance. However, Samarasinghe says, approximately, 150 to 200 crocodiles are killed per year, including accidental deaths due to crocodiles getting entangled in fishing nets. At times, when a crocodile is caught in a fishing net, it is killed for its meat, as crocodile meat is favoured in certain parts of the country, mainly because it is believed to carry a taste similar to that of chicken. “Crocodiles are hunted for meat in the Ja Ela, Muthurajawela areas, during the church feast,” says Samarasinghe. A few decades back, there were records of crocodiles being hunted for their meat and hide, in the Bellanvila and Attidiya areas.
Further, crocodiles are killed due to fear. For example, a cattle farmer near Bolgoda Lake killed a couple of crocodiles out of fear, and if a human is attacked, the possibility of that crocodile being killed is high, says Samarasinghe, adding that anyone who spots a crocodile in a park or on a road should contact the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Samarasinghe believes, the disruption of ecological habitats may contribute to the increase of human- crocodile conflict in the future. However, he notes co-existence should be encouraged, rather than see translocation as a solution to this.
“Translocation should be discouraged, and should be done only if there is a threat to the animal living in the particular location posing a threat to the humans. Relocation should be encouraged only if there is no direct harm to the crocodile and humans living around,” he says.
For centuries, crocodiles have remained an integral part of Colombo and its suburbs, with their survival being important to maintain the ecological balance. Thus, denizens and authorities alike should focus on ways to facilitate co-existence between humans and crocodiles through mechanisms to ensure the safety of both groups.