October 21, 2025
DHAKA – What began as an ordinary wildlife photography trip for a couple turned into a once-in-a-lifetime discovery when they captured photos of a species officially declared extinct in Bangladesh, the freshwater crocodile.
On the afternoon of October 16, Imrul Kayes, president of Save Wildlife of Nature’s (SWON) Rajshahi University unit, and his wife Umme Khadiza Eva, both professional wildlife photographers and former students of RU, visited Char Majhardia on the banks of the Padma river. Their plan was to photograph a rare bird locally known as Lalmonia. But fate had something else in store.
“Coincidentally, that same day a local herder called the national emergency helpline 999 and informed the Forest Department that he had seen a crocodile in the Padma,” said Imrul Kayes.
“As the department knew me personally, they immediately reached out to inform me of the sighting. It was pure coincidence that we were already there.”
Determined to investigate, the couple trekked about 15 km through mud and water but initially found nothing.
“We were disappointed,” Imrul recalled. “We sat under a tree and thought of flying the drone one last time. When we did, we spotted it — the crocodile. I flew the drone, and my wife captured the moment with her camera.”
The couple managed to photograph the reptile both with a drone and a ground camera, confirming the presence of a freshwater crocodile — a species believed to have vanished from the country decades ago.
Describing the crocodile, Imrul said, “One of their special features is that the two lower teeth remain visible from outside. We hope this magnificent creature survives in nature because the presence of such top predators indicates that the ecosystem is still healthy.”
As an expert, Imrul Kayes explained that Bangladesh historically had three species of crocodiles — the saltwater crocodile, freshwater crocodile, and gharial.
“Freshwater crocodiles were once abundant in Bangladesh,” he said. “But since the mid-1960s, when crocodile skin exports began, their numbers declined sharply. By 1985, sightings had completely stopped.”
In 2000, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conducted a national survey and declared the species regionally extinct.
“Even in the 2015 updated IUCN list of Bangladeshi fauna, they remained listed as extinct,” Imrul said. “However, since around 2018, sightings have been reported almost every year from different parts of the country. It’s time to reconsider whether they should still be classified as regionally extinct.”
Adnan Azad, convener of the Bangladesh Animal Welfare Association and an IUCN crocodile specialist, told The Daily Star that similar sightings had previously been reported in Pabna, Faridpur, and Khulna.
“One of them was rescued and kept in a wildlife breeding centre in the Sundarbans, which actually harms the species’ long-term prospects,” he said.
Adnan added, “I’ve seen Imrul’s photo — there’s a 90% chance it’s a male, and it’s clearly an adult over 20 years old. But it doesn’t appear to be born in Bangladesh. These crocodiles are abundant in India’s Chambal river, and it’s quite possible this one migrated from there.”
He explained that crocodiles, unlike other reptiles, cannot easily hide. “They need sunlight to regulate their body temperature, so they spend hours basking on riverbanks. If it had lived here for long, locals would have already noticed. Its presence in the Padma right now poses a threat to its own survival,” Adnan warned.
“With winter approaching, it will need to come ashore to bask in the sun,” he said. “That’s when it becomes most vulnerable — people might harm or even kill it out of fear. Even preventing it from basking could be life-threatening for the animal.”
Adnan urged immediate awareness campaigns in the area. “People must understand that the Padma river is a living ecosystem. Just as it naturally has fish, it can also have crocodiles. We need to accept that coexistence.”
For Imrul and his wife, the unexpected encounter left a lasting impression. “We went looking for birds,” Imrul smiled, “But instead, we found a piece of Bangladesh’s lost wildlife history.”