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 Entrance to the Madras Crocodile Bank | |
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| Abbreviation | CrocBank[1] |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1976 |
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | Non profit public trust |
| Purpose | Herpetofaunal conservation, research and education |
| Headquarters | Chennai |
| Location |
|
Region served | India |
Official language | Tamil, English |
Founder and director | Romulus Whitaker |
| Affiliations | Central Zoo Authority of India IUCN Species Survival Commission |
| Staff | 49 |
| Website | www |
12°44′38″N80°14′24″E / 12.743875°N 80.240107°E /12.743875; 80.240107
TheMadras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (MCBT) is areptilezoo andherpetology research station, located 40 km (25 mi) south of the city ofChennai,Tamil Nadu, India. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under theWild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and comes under the purview of theCentral Zoo Authority,Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,Government of India. The establishment is located on a 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) site covered bycoastal sand forests, along the coast ofBay of Bengal.
The MCBT was established in 1976 with the primary aim of conservation of three Indian species ofcrocodiles —mugger crocodile,saltwater crocodile andgharial. It was expanded as a centre for herpetology and research of other reptile species in 2003. The centre has bred over 5000 crocodiles since its inception and is one of the largest reptile zoos in the world. As of 2024, the park had 15 species of crocodiles including threecritically endangered species and 33 other reptilian species. The park recorded about 0.42 million annual visitors from April 2018 to March 2019.
The trust also runs three field stations atSouth Andaman,Agumbe inKarnataka, and theChambal valley inUttar Pradesh as well as asnake venom extraction centre. It is also involved in various research, conservation and educational projects.
Towards the end of the 19th century, hunting ofcrocodiles for their skin began and by the 1960s, wild populations of the crocodiles were reducing.[2][3] Amongst the three Indian species, themugger (Crocodylus palustris) had disappeared from most of its range, thegharial (Gavialis gangeticus) wascritically endangered andsaltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) numbers were threatened.[3][4] The crocodile species were protected under theWild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by theGovernment of India.[5] The Crocodile Conservation Project was launched by the Indian government in collaboration with theUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and theFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1975, for the protection and captive breeding of crocodiles.[6][7][8] The Madras Crocodile Bank was conceived in 1973 and it was established on 26 August 1976 by herpetologistRomulus Whitaker with his wife Zai Whitaker and others.[9][10] The bank was started for the protection and breeding of Indian crocodile species.[11]
The Crocodile Bank later developed a captive breeding program for freshwaterturtles andtortoises.[12][13] In the 1980s, the bank was established on theMoyar River to study the mugger crocodiles.[14] In 1990, theAndaman and Nicobar Environmental Team (ANET) was set-up as a division of the bank with a station established on a 5 acres (2.0 ha) stretch of land inWandoor, on the southern tip ofSouth Andaman in 1993.[15] The newsletterHamadryad being published by the trust since 1976 was converted into a full scientific journal in 1991.[16] In 2003, the bank was renamed the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Center for Herpetology and additional exhibits of other reptiles were added.[17][18] The trust is also involved in research onsnake venom and in 2005, theAgumbe Rainforest Research Station was established inAgumbe inKarnataka for the study ofKing Cobra and other diverse animals and ecosystems of theWestern Ghats.[17][19] In 2005, Rom Whitaker was given aWhitley Award and used the money to assist in setting up the Agumbe station.[20][21]
In 2011, the Crocodile Bank announced plans for the construction of a new frontage and satellite facility, followed by the redesign and construction of the display area including new enclosures with glass facades, walkways and interactive features.[18] As per the new plan, estimated at₹100 million (US$1.2 million), the park would be divided into four areas corresponding to various geographies with thematic landscaping, interactive displays and signage. The plan included a separate gharial exhibit, entry plaza with a café, parking areas and an interpretation centre that houses small crocodiles,snakes,turtles and lizards on the upper level and underwater viewing of the largest saltwater crocodile exhibit in the park, on the lower level.[22] In 2018, Whitaker was presented withPadma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India.[23] In 2020, the trust faced financial problems due toCOVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown.[24][25] The trust raised funds throughcrowd funding to mitigate the situation and for further planned developments.[26]
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust was established in 1976 which runs areptilezoo andherpetology research station. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and comes under the purview of theCentral Zoo Authority,Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,Government of India.[27][28] The Crocodile Bank is situated on a 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) stretch of land, located about 40 km (25 mi) south ofChennai on theEast Coast Road at Vadanemmeli nearThiruvidandhai, along theBay of Bengal.[29][12][30]
The bank runs three field bases namely Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team at South Andaman, Agumbe Rainforest Research Station at Agumbe and Gharial Ecology Project inChambal valley.[12] The trust is affiliated with more than 47 institutions includingThe World Conservation Union (IUCN),World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),Marine Conservation Society andSmithsonian Institution.[26] The trust manages a snake venom extraction center, operated by theIrula tribes.[31]
The trust engages in research projects on reptiles and other educational programmes. The bank has served as a regional source of status information for the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and has hosted numerous international meetings of the IUCN Specialist Groups dealing with reptiles.[32] The trust publishes a biannual herpetology journal calledHamadryad and is home to the largest library of herpetological literature in India.[33] Research in the field of herpetology within the bank has resulted in over 600 scientific publications, books, reports, newspaper and magazine articles and films.[34]
The centre has hosted numerous local and international scientists and research specialists.[35] In the early 1980s, Edward Moll ofEastern Illinois University did a study on turtles in India based out of the bank.[36][35] The bank's research biologists have since studied freshwater turtles in theChambal River inUttar Pradesh on a WWF grant with many species kept in the park as part of the centre's ongoing research program.[37][38] The bank collaborated with J.W. Lang fromUniversity of North Dakota, to initiate a project for the study mugger crocodiles. The project was done in association with Romulus Whitaker and Harry Andrews and focused on reptile reproduction, egg incubation, and temperature-dependent sex determination.[39] In the 1990s, studies on breeding biology and growth oflizards was conducted.[40]
In 2001, the Crocodile Bank was awarded the Ford Conservation and Environmental Grant for project "Integrated Environment Education", a multi-lingual programme on reptile preservation to create environmental awareness.[41] The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team is focused on research and conservation of the bio-diversity in Andaman and Nicobar islands.[15] The park conducts research into snake venom and mitigation of its effects in humans. The Agumbe research centre aids in study of venomous snakes and other organisms in the Western Ghats.[17][19] The park conducts regular educational and outreach programmes.[42][43] The bank serves as a consultant on reptile management and conservation issues to multiple organisations and countries.[12][35] The bank also runs an animal-adoption programme under which patrons can sponsor an animal housed at the center.[44]
The Crocodile Bank has a veterinary care section which works with the maintenance staff to monitor the health and maintenance of the animals. Examination and treatment for various pathological and parasitical examinations are carried out on the animals. Unique identification numbers are assigned to individual animals with maintenance of health and medical records.[45] The trust also engages in training of veterinarians to help equip other research and conservation projects.[46]
The trust was established for breeding crocodiles, has bred over 5000 crocodiles and is the largest breeding centre in India.[47] The park is one of the centres for breeding the critically endangered gharials and has been successfully breeding the species since 1989.[48][49][50] The park breeds other two species of crocodiles from India, mugger and salt-water crocodiles from 1983.[51] It has also been breeding other exotic crocodile species such asMorelet's crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) andSiamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis).[52] In 2010, the bank also bred the rarefalse gharial, a species listed asendangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[53] The trust has been involved in re-introducing crocodiles to the wild and various zoo exchange programmes.[1] The government stopped the release of captive bred crocodiles into the wild in 1994, which led to the number of crocodiles increasing at the park. As no methods have been evolved to sterilize the crocodiles, the increasing numbers resulted in nearly one thousand animals being relocated toGujarat in 2022.[29]
The bank also breeds turtles, snakes and other reptiles. It is a coordinating zoo of the Central Zoo Authority of India for the breeding programmes for endangered species, includingrock python,king cobra andGanges softshell turtle, as per the National Zoo Policy adopted by theGovernment of India in 1988.[54][52] It has been breedingcane turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica) andTravancore tortoise (Indotestudo travancorica) since the 1980s.[55] In May 2004, the bank successfully bred one of the world's most critically endangered turtles, thered-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga), for the first time ever in captivity.[56] Some of the turtles were sent to Uttar Pradesh to be introduced into the wild.[57][58] The trust has been involved in engaging local community and education for the conservation ofolive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).[59] The Crocodile Bank is a nodal point for captive breeding of endangered pythons in the country, especially theIndian rock python (Python molurus) andreticulated python (Python reticulatus).[60]
The park is home to the few approved snake venom extraction centres in India, the Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative Society, which also conducts venom extraction shows for the public at its snake farm.[61][62][63] The cooperative society was officially registered on 19 December 1978, and venom extraction was started on 16 December 1982.[64][65] Started with 26 members, the membership of the society rose to 350 by 2001.[66] As of 2022, it is the largest venom-producing center in India, contributing to 80% of the venom extracted.[67]
The bank hosts one of the largest reptilian zoos in the world.[68][69][70] As of 2024, the park had 15 species of crocodiles including three critically endangered species and 33 other reptilian species.[71][72][73] The park is divided into four areas corresponding to various geographies namely,Asia,Americas,Amazon andAfrica, with thematic landscaping and signage.[74] Apart from the crocodiles, there are various snakes includingpythons,anacondas andboas, turtles and tortoises includingAldabra giant tortoises,lizards andpiranhas.[74][75][76] FourKomodo dragons have been acquired fromBronx Zoo inNew York.[77] The bank also functions as a natural shelter for a variety of birds, enabling bird-watching.[78] The bank also operates a night safari on weekends.[79][80]
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Reptile stock at the Crocodile Bank as on 1 April 2011 is as follows:[81][82]
| Common name (species) | Total |
|---|---|
| Crocodilians | |
| Marsh orMugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) | 2115 |
| Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) | 12 |
| Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) | 55 |
| Common caiman (Caiman crocodylus) | 56 |
| Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) | 3 |
| Dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) | 13 |
| American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) | 2 |
| Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) | 9 |
| Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) | 7 |
| African slender-snouted crocodile (Mecistops cataphractus) | 6 |
| Dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) | 3 |
| Morelet's crocodile (Crocodylus moreletti) | 13 |
| False gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) | 2 |
| Freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni) | 1 |
| Total | 2302 |
| Freshwater turtles | |
| Indian softshell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) | 9 |
| Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) | 13 |
| Northern river terrapin (Batagur baska) | 2 |
| Red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga) | 72 |
| Indian roofed turtle (Pangshura tecta) | 2 |
| Indian roofed turtle (Pangshura tecta circumdata) | 17 |
| Brahminy river turtle (Hardella thurjii) | 2 |
| Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) | 8 |
| Travancore tortoise (Indotestudo travancorica) | 23 |
| Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) | 4 |
| Indian tent turtle or Pink Ringed Turtle (Pangshura tentoria) | 1 |
| Total | 152 |
| Snakes | |
| Indian rock python (Python molurus) | 26 |
| Reticulated python (Python reticulatus) | 1 |
| Indian cobra (Albino) (Naja naja) | 1 |
| Green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) | 1 |
| Whitakers sand boa (Eryx whitakerii) | 1 |
| Total | 30 |
| Lizards | |
| Northern caiman lizard (Dracena guanensis) | 1 |
| Komodo dragon[83] (Varanus komodoensis) | 4 |
| Iguana | 2 |
| Total | 7 |
| Total specimens | 2491 |
As of 2021-22, the trust declared revenues of₹4.22 crore (US$500,000) against an expenditure of₹5.26 crore (US$620,000). The trust gets about one-third of revenues from ticketing at the zoo with other income coming through research grants (23%), donations (12%), educational programmes (11%) among others. The trust spends 30% of the expenditure on wages followed by 23% for research. Other major costs include interest on capital and reptile feeding.[26] The park recorded about 0.42 million annual visitors from April 2018 to March 2019.[84] Post opening of the park after the Covid-induced lockdown, about 0.15 million visitors were recorded from September 2021 to March 2022 with an average monthly footfall of 21,400.[26]
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