If all goes according to plan, the country's only crocodile farm in Phuentsholing will move to a more spacious location, further from the urban centre and allowing elbowroom for its inmates. An acute lack of space has been a longstanding problem for the farm, which was set up in 1976 behind Norgay cinema on a 0.58-acre area with 12 crocodiles (Crododylus palustris) and seven gharials. According to the gharial conservation program in-charge, B P Dhal, the new site planned near Dhoti khola, around a kilometre beyond the present location, will spread over a five-acre area. "Lack of space and commercial activities generating pollution around made the farm dirty and suffocated the reptiles, affecting their propagation,' said B P Dhal. "The young ones are very delicate and, of the average 40 eggs laid by each crocodile, only a few could be incubated,' he said. The deputy chief of the veterinary laboratory at Tshimalakha, Dr Basant Sharma, told Kuensel that a post-mortem of young gharials showed infections in their lungs. "The cold winter temperature could also be a factor, as most gharials lay their eggs around October,' he said. However, with a lack of specialised doctors, samples have been sent abroad and experts called to get a better understanding. From the time the farm was established, only ten newborn crocodiles survived. Presently, the farm has a total of 15 crocodiles and 6 gharials. Farm authorities plan to include other reptiles in the new farm. By Passang Norbu passa@kuensel.com.bt