page_title: Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
section_title: Objectives
hierarchical_section_title: Madras Crocodile Bank Trust / Objectives
caption_attribution_description: English: Typical enclosure at the CrocBank, Chennai, on 21 July 2018
context_page_description: The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station, located 40 kilometres south of the city of Chennai, in state of Tamil Nadu, India. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under the Wildlife Act, 1972 and comes under the purview of the Central Zoo Authority, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. It was established with the aim of saving three Indian endangered species of crocodile—the marsh or mugger crocodile, the saltwater crocodile, and the gharial, which at the time of founding of the trust were all nearing extinction.
  The CrocBank grounds are covered by coastal dune forest providing a haven for native wildlife, including large breeding colonies of water birds and a secure nesting beach for olive ridley sea turtles. The high aquifer on the sandy coast provides sufficient water supply and the proximity to the major tourist destination of Mahabalipuram ensures annual visitation. The centre is the biggest crocodile sanctuary in India. It covers 8.5 acres and had over 450,000 visitors in 2007.
context_section_description: The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust's stated objectives are as follows:
  The conservation of nature and natural resources in the broadest sense, with particular focus on the conservation of herpetofauna and their habitats.
  To establish breeding, research, educational, dissemination and transfer centers, field stations, and other establishments focusing on ecological and environmental issues.
caption: Typical enclosure at the park
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