Crocodile Breeding in Gujrat

Crocodiles are known to inhabit most of the large fresh water bodies in the Gujarat. Majority of the main rivers and dams are their preferred habitats, with maximum concentration in the dams, small rivers and streams in Gir National Park and Sanctuary. Incidences of encountering crocodiles in the populated areas like the villages in Kheda and Kachchh districts are also not uncommon. These incidences confirm their existence in many districts of the state.

Vijay Kumar (1997) recorded 97 crocodiles in Kachchh, 306 in Junagarh, 5 in Amreli, 2 in Panchmahals, 8 in Khela ad 14 in Vadodara. In the districts Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Sabarkantha, Surat, Mehsana and Valsad, the total population of crocodile may be about 100. The Forest Department has already recorded more than 600 crocodiles in four dams in the Gir sanctuary and other waterbodies. On the basis of various records and surveys, it is estimated that wild population of crocodiles in Gujarat would be 1200 - 1500. The species is found to be exterminated in the Dang district.

There are 10 centres in the state where crocodiles are being reared in captivity. These are :

Centre	Population
GEER Foundation Gandhinagar	19
Sasan Rearing Centre	64
Kasturaba Aviary, Surat	3
Kankaria Zoo	23
Ahmedabad Municipal Zoo, Rajkot	17
Sakarbaug Zoo, Junagadh	7
Sayaji bag Zoo, Vadodara	5
Maharaja Fatehsinh Rao	5
Zoo Trust,Vadodara GNFC, Bharuch	2
Sundarvan, Ahmedabad	1
Total	116

Due to the crocodile's dwindling population and its endangered status in the past, Gujarat decided to take up extensive measures to protect this species. The Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in the state in 1977 and in the initial stage two crocodile rearing centres were established - one at Sasan Gir in 1997 and the other at Indroda Nature Park, Gandhinagar in 1979. The efforts put up at these two centres have yielded the desired results, and up till now, about 1000 crocodiles, bred and reared in these centres, have been released in different waterbodies in the state.

The eggs procured from the Hiran dam within the Gir Sanctuary were hatched artificially in the Sasan Gir rearing centre. Over the period, 308 crocodiles have been distributed to various zoos and other such centres for captive breeding and rearing. 25 crocodiles were given to Fatehsing Rao Zoo Trust, Baroda in 1978, 190 to the Natural History Museum, Gandhinagar in 1978 & 1980 and 1993 to Sakkarbag zoo, Junagarh during 1980 to 1986. The relocation of crocodiles commenced on 15 May 1984. A total 1013 crocodiles were released in nature as a part of this programme. Of these, 973 were released in the Gir sanctuary, 13 in Ranjit Sagar lake, 14 in Narmada dam, 4 in Karjan dam and 8 released in Ajwa dam.

In Gir Wildlife Sanctuary alone, as part of the reintroduction programme, 148 crocodiles were released in Kamleshwar dam, 200 in Rawal dam, 264 in Singoeda dam, 94 in Machchhundri dam, 40 in Billiard Kankai, 25 in other small watersides and 2 were released in Jarardi river.

Also as a part of reintroduction and augmentation of crocodile populations in nature, 145 crocodile eggs were given to Andhra Pradesh, 50 crocodiles and 51 eggs to Maharashtra and 30 crocodiles to Diu.

Located in the outskrits of the Gandhinagar city, and covered with dense man-made forest on the picturesque bank of the river Sabarmati, Indroda Nature Park is an ideal place to have a such breeding programme of crocodile. The breeding programme here was initiated in 1979, which is managed by the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation, Gandhinagar, which was known as Natural History Museum prior to 1984. 190 crocodiles were moved to this centre for captive breeding and this centre has successfully bred and released in the Rawal dam in the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. Similarly, in September 1997, 25 crocodiles were released in Machchhundri dam of in the wildlife sanctuary.

The breeding of crocodiles in Gujarat has yielded positive results, which is confirmed by the increase in the population of crocodile in the state. The crocodile-rearing centre at Sasan Gir have been very successful in its objectives and have restocked the crocodiles in Gir Sanctuary and National park. The population increase in the waterbodies of Junagarh district, which is reflected from above figures, is due to this rearing centre.