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has also been accomplished at 25 differenl zoos and re3ring populaiions still remain in pans of tho Nicobars (Whitrker
ccnters throughout India (Choudhury, pers. comm.). Acrording
to Whialer and Whitaker ( 1989b), by 1986 a toral of33m+
1987).
juvedlos had been poduced thrcugh captive breeding and Management and Conserration Programs: C. porosus is
4,775+ through the egg collecrion program. By 1984 approximately
600 juvenile C. palBrlir had be€n releas€d (Singh er al. head-staning progmm similar to the one for C. pall/Jfir is in
legally prote.red under the Wildlife Protc.tion Act of 1972. A
1986a), and for 1990 this figure is 1,000+ (Choudhury, pers. etlectfor C. porosus. Centgrs for C prlrflr conservation were
comm.). Present captive stock numbers in excess of 15,0m established in the Bhitarkanita National Pa* (Orissa), as well
(Whitaker 190). Resightingsof muggerrclea.scd in the Similipal as in Port Blair (An&man Islands), and adjaceni !o rhe
Preservc in Orissa haveranged from 12. 1% in tho Budhabalanga Sunderbans Tiger Reserve. Thc princip3l functions of these
River lo 34.7% in the West Deo River lo 71.6% in lhc Khairi cenlef was 10 locaae C. pr,'ostJ nests, collect eggs, and rcar the
River Oased on March 1990 rcports; Rath er al. 1990). young for restocking prog:ams. By 1984, caprive bre€ding had
Many of the muggor crocodiles used in rctease programs been attempted at five breeding centers, and had been successful
at tro: the Bhagabatur in Wesr Bengal and the Madms
tlroughout India have originared from the sourhem sraie of
Tamil Nadu. This activity was quesrioned on genctic grounds Crocodilc Bank in Tamil Nad'r. As of 1984 a toral of 2,5OC C.
b€causo it could result in the inlcmixing of geographically poroxw eggs had b€en hdndled, and 415 crocodiles released
distinct forms. However, as the fi^t priority ofrhe program was back into the wild (Singh er al. 1986a). This work har conrinued,
and by 1989 a loral of 3,0m eggs had been collecr.d and
to re-esrablish wild br€fding populalions, and in many areas
wild populations no longo eristed, ir was fell thar this releas€ I,050 crocodiles rcleased into the Bhira*a ka National Park
protocol was j ustified (Whitaker and Whitaker 1989a). (Kar 1989). Somo of the released crocodiles began breeding
A total of 28 national parks, wildlife rc.serves. or crocodile during the 1989 nesting season (Kar 1990a). In 1990, four
sanctuaries have been designaled in I I stat€s (Madhya hadesh, releascd C. pordrrls nesl,ed (Kar 1990b). Surveys in March
Ulhr hadesh, Cujaral, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Andra 1990 revcaled that40.0% of tho rcleased crocodiles arc srill in
Pmdosh, Kerala, Kamataka, Rajasthan, and Maharastra) for the the park.
management of C. pdturrr1 (Singh et al. 1986b).
Morc rhan 200 crocodiles ofapproximalely 2 m length aie r.r
Restocking has decline.d in rccent years, resulting in a large be rolea-sed inlo the Kujang area, a! the delta of the Mahfiadi
number of excess crccodiles being mainrained at thc caprive River (adjacent!o the Bhitarkanika Narional Park) following
rqring centers. Thc limited number of rclcase sires as well as the rainy s€ason in 19m (Kar 1990b). Four sites (lhrcc
f€ars of human-crocodilc conflicts havo bccn the DrinciDal crocodile sanctuarics ard one tiger rescrve) have been designarcd
as protected areas for the management of C. pdro.rl1r
caus€ ol the slow-down in rcleas€s (Whrraler and Whilal(er
1989a, Singh ei al. 1990). Interest is now developing for the (Singh er al. 1986b, Whiraker 1987).
commercial rearing of this species, bui !o datc rhis has been
opposed by the govcmment.
Country Rating
Survey Data: Ill-basic survey alaln
Wild Population Slatus: 4deplered/vulnerable
ManagemenL Program. D resro(king,/reinuoduction
Saf twater crocodif e (C rocodXlus porosus)
Status of Witd Popnlationst This species was fomerly
pres€nt in areas of suitable habila! along lhe emirc easlem coas!
and up (hc vvestem coasto the vicinity ofcochin (Kerala Srare).
Breeding populalions of C. polrrrr are now reslricled to rhe
norlieastem coastal rcgion (Orissa and \ry'est Bengal Stalet
and in fte Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The largcsr known
population, numbering approximar,ely 450 individuab of aI
sizes, is located in the Bhitarkanika Sancruary at the mouih of
the Mahanadi River in Orissa S |atc (R ath er al. 1990). During
egg collection in 1990. 12 C. po.rrr.! nesrs were locarcd in
Bhitarkanika (Kar 1990b). In rhe Andaman and LiuteAndaman
Islands, iemnant populadons are still loca0ed in $e exrreme
north and west of Nonh An&man, and on a few adjaccnr
offshore islands, and on the soulhcm and westem coasB of
Soud Andarnan. A population rcmains in rhe Jarawa Tribal
Rcserve but cannot bc surveyed at present as local tribes
controlling the area will not allow enlry. Small bur untouched
40
Country Rating
Survey Dala: trI-basic survey dala
Wild Populalion Status: 3-scvcrely depleled,/endangeEd
Management Programi D-restockingteintroduclion
Gharial (G aialis g on geticu s)
Status of Wild Populations: Prior ro the initiadon of conservation
efforts in the mid-1970s world populadons of gharial
werc cxEemely low. Toral population in 19?4 was esumarcd !o
bc app.oximarl) 250. Since rhal limc lhe release program m
India has significandy incrcased overall populadon size [o over
2,500, with 1,000+ alivc in fte wild (Whitrker alld Whitrker
1989b). The largest gharial fJopularion in India is in the
National Chambal Sanctuary along rhe Chambal River, which
is 600 km Iong and.uns through rhe states of Uuar hadesh,
Madhya Pnalesh, and Rajastan. Surveys in rhe Chambal
cond&ted by Rao (1988, 1990) indic-ale gharial density has
increased from l.08^m in 1983,1984 io 1.89^rn in 1988.
Increases in the numt'er ofnests havc also b€en obscrved. The
lo1al number of individuals spotled during rhe 198?-1988
surveys was 8O4. Eggs are collecred for the hcad-srarting
program but nalural recruitrnent is also raking placc (Rao 1988,
1990).
Smaller gharial popularions rcmain in olier paris of India
inclMing: Katemiyaghat (Ullar Pradcsh), Salhkoshia corge