An extinct freshwater crocodile species, the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), historically common in Bangladesh's major rivers including the Padma, has reportedly been sighted again in the Padma River near Rajshahi. Although officially declared regionally extinct in Bangladesh around 2000 due to poaching and habitat loss, recent sightings and recoveries of individual muggers in the Padma and other rivers suggest a rare reappearance.
These crocodiles are believed to migrate from neighboring West Bengal, India, where the species is also making a comeback. Conservation efforts are underway to protect and potentially reintroduce muggers to their natural habitats in Bangladesh, including captive breeding and creating safe zones, but challenges remain such as habitat degradation and human threats.Locals near the Padma River have seen these large crocodiles in disconnected lagoons and river banks, causing fear but also hope for species revival.
Authorities currently focus on the safety and conservation of these crocodiles rather than relocation, aiming to increase their populations gradually through careful management.This recent finding is significant as it marks one of the very few sightings of a freshwater crocodile in Bangladesh in the past 50 years, signaling a hopeful step toward reviving a species once thought lost in the region
