Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre for Herpetology

The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (or Croc Bank) was the brain child of the legendary Romulus Whitaker and a handful of like-minded conservation visionaries who began work on the facility in 1976, in a desperate effort to save India’s dwindling crocodilian populations. Today, after more than 30 formidable years of cutting edge science and grassroots education, the Croc Bank remains a world leader in the field of frontline conservation and the preservation of natural landscapes.

The Croc Bank currently consists of a large reptile park near Chennai, Southern India, and several field projects located throughout the subcontinent reaching as far afield as the Nicobar Islands. The zoo sees close to half a million visitors per year making it one of the most popular tourist attractions along the famous East Coast Road.