Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
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The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (MCBT) is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station, located Template:Cvt south of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and comes under the purview of the Central Zoo Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. The establishment is located on a Template:Cvt site covered by coastal sand forests, along the coast of Bay of Bengal.
The MCBT was established in 1976 with the primary aim of conservation of three Indian species of crocodiles — mugger crocodile, saltwater crocodile and gharial. 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 three critically 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 at South Andaman, Agumbe in Karnataka, and the Chambal valley in Uttar Pradesh as well as a snake venom extraction centre. It is also involved in various research, conservation and educational projects.
History
Towards the end of the 19th century, hunting of crocodiles for their skin began and by the 1960s, wild populations of the crocodiles were reducing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="IUCN">Template:Cite report</ref> Amongst the three Indian species, the mugger (Crocodylus palustris) had disappeared from most of its range, the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) was critically endangered and saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) numbers were threatened.<ref name="IUCN"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The crocodile species were protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by the Government of India.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> The Crocodile Conservation Project was launched by the Indian government in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1975, for the protection and captive breeding of crocodiles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Madras Crocodile Bank was conceived in 1973 and it was established on 26 August 1976 by herpetologist Romulus Whitaker with his wife Zai Whitaker and others.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The bank was started for the protection and breeding of Indian crocodile species.<ref name="History">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Crocodile Bank later developed a captive breeding program for freshwater turtles and tortoises.<ref name="ASAP">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 1980s, the bank was established on the Moyar River to study the mugger crocodiles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1990, the Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team (ANET) was set-up as a division of the bank with a station established on a Template:Cvt stretch of land in Wandoor, on the southern tip of South Andaman in 1993.<ref name="ANET">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The newsletter Hamadryad being published by the trust since 1976 was converted into a full scientific journal in 1991.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In 2003, the bank was renamed the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Center for Herpetology and additional exhibits of other reptiles were added.<ref name="AR">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="IE">Template:Cite news</ref> The trust is also involved in research on snake venom and in 2005, the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station was established in Agumbe in Karnataka for the study of King Cobra and other diverse animals and ecosystems of the Western Ghats.<ref name="AR"/><ref name="SB">Template:Cite journal</ref> In 2005, Rom Whitaker was given a Whitley Award and used the money to assist in setting up the Agumbe station.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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.<ref name="IE"/> As per the new plan, estimated at Template:INRconvert, 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, Whitaker was presented with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2020, the trust faced financial problems due to COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The trust raised funds through crowd funding to mitigate the situation and for further planned developments.<ref name="AR1">Template:Cite report</ref>
Organisation
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust was established in 1976 which runs a reptile zoo and herpetology 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 the Central Zoo Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.<ref name="master_plans">Template:Cite report</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Crocodile Bank is situated on a Template:Cvt stretch of land, located about Template:Cvt south of Chennai on the East Coast Road at Vadanemmeli near Thiruvidandhai, along the Bay of Bengal.<ref name="BBC"/><ref name="ASAP"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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 in Chambal valley.<ref name="ASAP"/> The trust is affiliated with more than 47 institutions including The World Conservation Union (IUCN), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Marine Conservation Society and Smithsonian Institution.<ref name="AR1"/> The trust manages a snake venom extraction center, operated by the Irula tribes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Wildlife conservation
Animal research and education
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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The trust publishes a biannual herpetology journal called Hamadryad and is home to the largest library of herpetological literature in India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Research in the field of herpetology within the bank has resulted in over 600 scientific publications, books, reports, newspaper and magazine articles and films.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The centre has hosted numerous local and international scientists and research specialists.<ref name="RP">Template:Cite report</ref> In the early 1980s, Edward Moll of Eastern Illinois University did a study on turtles in India based out of the bank.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="RP"/> The bank's research biologists have since studied freshwater turtles in the Chambal River in Uttar Pradesh on a WWF grant with many species kept in the park as part of the centre's ongoing research program.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The bank collaborated with J.W. Lang from University 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.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> In the 1990s, studies on breeding biology and growth of lizards was conducted.<ref name="Lizard">Template:Cite journal</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Environmental Team is focused on research and conservation of the bio-diversity in Andaman and Nicobar islands.<ref name="ANET"/> 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.<ref name="AR"/><ref name="SB"/> The park conducts regular educational and outreach programmes.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bank serves as a consultant on reptile management and conservation issues to multiple organisations and countries.<ref name="ASAP"/><ref name="RP"/> The bank also runs an animal-adoption programme under which patrons can sponsor an animal housed at the center.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The trust also engages in training of veterinarians to help equip other research and conservation projects.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Captive breeding
The trust was established for breeding crocodiles, has bred over 5000 crocodiles and is the largest breeding centre in India.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The park is one of the centres for breeding the critically endangered gharials and has been successfully breeding the species since 1989.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The park breeds other two species of crocodiles from India, mugger and salt-water crocodiles from 1983.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It has also been breeding other exotic crocodile species such as Morelet's crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) and Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis).<ref name="Breed">Template:Cite report</ref> In 2010, the bank also bred the rare false gharial, a species listed as endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The trust has been involved in re-introducing crocodiles to the wild and various zoo exchange programmes.<ref name="Croc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 to Gujarat in 2022.<ref name="BBC">Template:Cite news</ref>
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, including rock python, king cobra and Ganges softshell turtle, as per the National Zoo Policy adopted by the Government of India in 1988.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Breed"/> It has been breeding cane turtle (Vijayachelys silvatica) and Travancore tortoise (Indotestudo travancorica) since the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In May 2004, the bank successfully bred one of the world's most critically endangered turtles, the red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga), for the first time ever in captivity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Some of the turtles were sent to Uttar Pradesh to be introduced into the wild.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The trust has been involved in engaging local community and education for the conservation of olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The Crocodile Bank is a nodal point for captive breeding of endangered pythons in the country, especially the Indian rock python (Python molurus) and reticulated python (Python reticulatus).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The cooperative society was officially registered on 19 December 1978, and venom extraction was started on 16 December 1982.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Started with 26 members, the membership of the society rose to 350 by 2001.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of 2022, it is the largest venom-producing center in India, contributing to 80% of the venom extracted.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Exhibition
The bank hosts one of the largest reptilian zoos in the world.<ref name="NYT">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2024, the park had 15 species of crocodiles including three critically endangered species and 33 other reptilian species.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The park is divided into four areas corresponding to various geographies namely, Asia, Americas, Amazon and Africa, with thematic landscaping and signage.<ref name="Lay">Template:Cite report</ref> Apart from the crocodiles, there are various snakes including pythons, anacondas and boas, turtles and tortoises including Aldabra giant tortoises, lizards and piranhas.<ref name="Lay"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Four Komodo dragons have been acquired from Bronx Zoo in New York.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bank also functions as a natural shelter for a variety of birds, enabling bird-watching.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The bank also operates a night safari on weekends.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Breakdown of exhibited species
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Reptile stock at the Crocodile Bank as on 1 April 2011 is as follows:<ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
| Common name (species) | Total |
|---|---|
| Crocodilians | |
| Marsh or Mugger 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<ref name="A date with the dragons">Template:Cite news</ref> (Varanus komodoensis) | 4 |
| Iguana | 2 |
| Total | 7 |
| Total specimens | 2491 |
Financials and patronage
As of 2021-22, the trust declared revenues of Template:INRconvert against an expenditure of Template:INRconvert. 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.<ref name="AR1"/> The park recorded about 0.42 million annual visitors from April 2018 to March 2019.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref> 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.<ref name="AR1"/>
See also
References
External links
- Template:Official website
- Official website of: "Central Zoo Authority of India" (CZA), Government of India
- Official website of: Andaman and Nicobar Environmental Team Centre for Island EcologyTemplate:Dead link
Template:Chennai Topics Template:Kanchipuram districtTemplate:Portal bar