Take it to the (Crocodile) Bank

As a young reptile lover (and especially one who was crazy about crocodiles), I was pretty spoiled as a kid.  I lived not that far from one of the only zoos in the country to exhibit gharial.  It wasn't the most exciting of exhibits, nor was it the most spectacular of specimens - it was a lone female, so she lacked the impressive, bulbous ghara that stood out to me so much in all of my books - but it was certainly better than nothing.  When I finally did see a big male in all of its glory at the San Diego Zoo years later, it blew me away.  I'm pretty sure that at this time I've seen gharial in every US zoo that houses them, and I never get tired of seeing them.

The most special gharial memory I have, however, was of the smallest.  I happened to be at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm not that long after they celebrated the hatching of the first gharial born outside of its native South Asia, a feat which so far only a very small number of other zoos have matched.  So where are the gharials in zoos coming from?  Essentially, a gharial ranch.

Founded in 1976, the Madras Crocodile Bank was created to ensure a future for India's three native crocodilian species - the mugger (over 2000 present), the saltwater crocodile, and the gharial.  It has since expanded its mission to include not only other crocodilians from around the world but also other reptiles, and is now also open to the public as a specialized reptile zoo.  It still carries on a lot of important herpetological work, including antivenin production, but one of its main roles is producing crocodilians - including gharial - for reintroduction to the wild.  I think it's fair to say that without the MCB's efforts, this species - doubtlessly the strangest and most unique of the crocodilians - would likely be extinct.

Normally I'd be of the opinion that if an exotic species isn't breeding sustainably in American zoos and aquariums, we should focus our efforts on other species that we can more effectively bolster the numbers of.  Gharials are a species tat I consider an exception.  As challenging as they have been to breed in the US (though hopefully we'll continue to see improved success), Madras is able to produce them in great quantities for the reintroduction efforts.  A few individuals can then be supplied to US facilities without either removing animals from the wild or impacting the reintroduction program. The species is long-lived, and a few gharials sent abroad can live for decades before potentially needing to be replaced.

Having a few gharial at zoos around the world can help boost awareness and fundraising for saving these gentle giants of the crocodile world.  And if a few breed here and there outside of their range country?  Well that's just a bonus.