The lone female crocodile at Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary in Burdwan town was found dead on Tuesday. “The 28-year-old crocodile died of cirrhosis of liver. During postmortem, its stomach was found empty. It was not consuming food. The lungs and heart are being sent to Kolkata for further tests,” said veterinary officer Bimal Chattopadhyay.
The crocodile was brought to the sanctuary from South 24-Parganas district in 2006. Though a salt water crocodile, it could have survived till the age of 40, said Chattopadhyay. One such crocodile normally lives for 50 to 70 years. Last year, the crocodile had laid six eggs, but none could hatch.