Madras Crocodile Bank, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

From the archive record

Madras Crocodile Bank is sited at around 44 km away from the capital city of Tamil Nadu, near Mahabalipuram. It extends over an area of about 3.2 hectares, comprising a wide range of Indian and African crocodiles, alligators and other reptiles including turtles and snakes. Here, the crocodiles are kept in their natural habitat. Founded by Romulus Whitaker, the German Biologist in 1976, to conserve the species of crocodiles and alligators which are endangered, it is provided with lush tropical vegetation for giving ample shade to these reptiles. At the time of its establishment, the total population of the crocodiles was only 30. Presently, it has 14 varieties of crocodiles, 12 species of turtles and 5 types of snakes, with total number of 2,400 reptiles in the Crocodile Bank. Indian variet