Reptilian riddle
once fighting for survival, the Indian crocodile has made a remarkable comeback. The crocodile population is growing to the extent that has now become alarmingly high. The crocodile farm at Kelambakkam near Madras, is now teeming with about 6,000 crocodiles of different species. The crocodile bank and herpetology centre was established to save the reptile from becoming extinct. The centre has huge ponds housing gharials , crocodiles, alligators, muggers and other exotic species.
Alarmed by the rising population, Romulus Whittaker, the founder of the centre, has asked the government to promulgate a law which would help contain the surplus crocodiles or use them for commercial farming. He feels that the money earned from exploiting the huge market for crocodile meat and skin could be used to conserve other species. But environmentalists feel that such a move would be detrimental to the survival of the reptile.