Madras Crocodile Bank Trust opens for public

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust: 40 years celebration of its opening for public

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology came in news in fourth week of July 2016. It came in news because it is celebrating its 40 years of opening its gate for the public.

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (or Croc Bank)

• It is a non government environmental organization and was founded in 1976 by Romulus Whitaker.

• The Croc Bank currently consists of a large reptile park near Chennai, Southern India and several field projects located throughout the subcontinent reaching as far afield as the Nicobar Islands.

• It rears 17 out of the 23 different species of crocodiles in the world.

• It is a house of species like turtles, tortoises and iguanas.

• The main attraction is a 45 year old salt water crocodile called Jaws III which is 17 ft long and weighs 700 kg. It is also the largest crocodile in captivity in India.

• It also houses four Aldabra giant tortoises, which is the second largest tortoise species in the world. "They grow up to 5ft in length and 3ft in height.

• The park has anaconda babies and also the four komodo dragons.

• There are three field stations in the banks of the Chambal River for gharials, another one in the Western Ghats for king cobras and the third one is in the Andamans for projects related to marine biology.

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