Endangered Crocodile Subspecies Guards His 100 Babies Against Danger By Carrying Them On His Back
It shouldn’t be a new thing to you that the act of parenting isn’t only exhibited by humans; even crocodiles exhibit amazing parenting skills. When wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee visited India's National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, he was hoping to get some good shots of this rare crocodile species, but he got more than he bargained for.
The award-winning photographer, who has over 25 years of experience in the field, came to this location to photograph the gharial, a critically endangered crocodile species. These ancient reptiles have a very long snout that helps them catch fish and protect their aquatic territories from other predators.
These massive reptiles, which can grow to be 19 feet long on average, once roamed nearly all major rivers in South Asia, but there are now only about 650 of them left according to the IUCN red list. Unfortunately, they have become critically endangered in comparison to other crocodile species over time and as a result of hunting.
But for Mukherjee, it was a dream come true because he was able to photograph a large gharial male who was caring for his over one hundred babies. The once-in-a-lifetime encounter resulted in some once-in-a-lifetime photos, including one of the proud crocodile father giving his offspring a piggyback ride while crossing the Chambal River.
Dhritiman Mukherjee hoped to catch some nice shoots of this unique crocodile species, but he got more
Dhritiman MukherjeeIn most cases, one male mates with eight or nine females, and the male alone guards the babies of all females with whom he mates. This was a large mature male who had mated with 7-8 females or even more, so the children you see on his back are from multiple females.
He managed to capture on camera a large gharial male who was looking after his over one hundred babies
Dhritiman MukherjeeUnlike other crocodile subspecies, which carry their newborns in their mouths, gharials protect their young by carrying them on their backs. Despite being extremely shy for such a large creature, the gharial is responsible, defensive, and caring for its young.
They can be extremely protective, as well as aggressive if someone gets too close to them.
"The male alone guards the babies of all females he mates with"
Dhritiman MukherjeeThe male always stays close to the newborns for 24 hours, and the babies occasionally lie on their father's back. Mukherjee hopes that sufficient efforts will be made to conserve this species, as well as many other endangered species that are currently receiving attention from conservation organizations.
The gharial is a critically endangered species, but its numbers have increased in recent years.
“The male always stays close to the babies for 24 hours. Sometimes the babies lay on their father’s back.”
Dhritiman MukherjeeHopefully, all of those offspring will grow into mature crocs and become parents too. The input of wildlife management will also be crucial in preventing this endangered species from hitting the worst-case scenario.
We know you are amazed by the story of this endangered species. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
(h.t: petapixel| thedodo| Instagram)
