Rare Crocodile Is Photographed Carrying Hundreds Of Babies On His Back To Keep Them Protected
A rare Gharial crocodile has been photographed doing something that looks almost tender, carrying a cluster of babies on its back to keep them safe. The image stands out even more because this species is critically endangered and already hanging on by a thread in the wild.
Dhritiman Mukherjee captured the moment, and the scene quickly drew attention for a simple reason: it shows a side of crocodiles most people never expect. With habitat loss, damming, and overfishing threatening the species, every glimpse like this feels especially significant.
And in this case, the fatherly display is as unusual as it is memorable.
Mukherjee was lucky; he didn't just spot any old Gharial; he spotted a devoted daddy Gharial.
In an interview with The Dodo, Dhritiman said:
“Generally, one male mates with eight or nine females, and so the male alone guards the babies of all the females he mates with.”
Other crocodile species protect their young by carrying them in their mouths, but the Gharial's thin, smaller snout is not large enough for such a daunting task.
Mukherjee spent nearly a whole week watching this Gharial dad care for his offspring by carrying them around on his back.
Mukherjee said:
“I found he was super protective and aggressive if someone came close to them. The male always stays close to the babies for 24 hours. Sometimes the babies lay on their father’s back.”
Because of damming and overfishing, the Gharial's natural habitat has been severely damaged, and scientists fear that the end of this species is near.
This is the same kind of protect-and-carry energy as the forest guard who rescued and carried a 100-kilogram baby elephant on his shoulders.
Because of damming and overfishing, the Gharial's natural habitat has been severely damaged, and scientists fear that the end of this species is near.
However, Dhritiman's photos spark hope for conservationists invested in the crocodile's comeback.
“With the help of my images, I can connect a huge number of people emotionally and scientifically with the natural world,” Mukherjee said. “I realized [photography] can be a great tool to create awareness and consciousness — a great tool for conservation.”
Dhritiman Mukherjee is both an explorer and wanderer, and one of India’s most accomplished nature and wildlife photographers.
"In the last twenty years, he has pushed his limits as a photographer to do work that is both compelling and scientifically essential."
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