Along the West Deo River in Odisha's Similipal Tiger Reserve , a forest team scans the waterline. A pair of eyes breaks the surface. Further downstream, another crocodile basks on a sandy bank. For conservationists , these sightings mean more than another reptile counted in a survey. They are signs of a river system that is holding steady. The latest census has recorded 84 mugger crocodiles, up from 81 last year, reversing a decline that continued for two consecutive years. The increase may seem