Madras crocodile bank trust in tamil nadu and the greens zoological rescue and rehabilitation centre in gujarat, owned by billionaire mukesh ambani, are involved in a process of shifting 1,000 crocodiles. approximately 300 crocodiles have already been relocated, with the intention of giving them a better space to live in. this is the first time that such a large number of crocodiles have been shifted from madras crocodile bank trust. the relocation began in late 2020, with the 425-acre, three-year-old zoo in gujarat reporting that crocodiles are given adequate space, food and care.
the crocodiles are being transported in temperature-controlled wooden boxes in a vehicle. the decision to move the crocodiles was done with the intention of solving the overcrowding issue, as hundreds of crocodile eggs were being destroyed every year. a federal government order in 1994 prohibited the release of captive-bred crocodiles into the wild, leading to the need to relocate a few crocodiles to zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. however, officials at the breeding centre have reported running out of places to send their surplus crocodiles due to shrinking wildlife areas and limited capacity of zoos.
wildlife biologist p kannan argued that the reptiles will still be confined in a closed space in their new home and this will not solve the overcrowding issue. mr s jayachandran, the honorary secretary of the nilgiri wildlife and environment association, suggested that instead of relocating animals, india should increase its protected areas for wildlife. if there was enough space in the wild, crocodiles would not need to be relocated to a zoo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-63740095?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
