Rare Crocodile Is Photographed Carrying Hundreds Of Babies On His Back To Keep Them Protected

What a great crocodile daddy.

Elana

• Published in Animal Stories
• September 9, 2021

When it comes to the animal kingdom and creatures being well known for excelling at daddy duty, the highest ranked animals are: the Mountain Gorilla, the Pygmy Marmoset, the Arctic Wolf, Emperor Penguins, and Seahorses. Alas, another critter may be climbing the ranks unexpectedly: crocodiles.

Specifically, the Gharial Crocodile (AKA the gavial or the fish-eating crocodile,) a peculiar looking crocodile that happens to be critically endangered. To be considered critically endangered, a species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild and the Gharial fits the bill.

Once common in rivers and sandbanks across South Asia, this large crocodile with an elongated snout is believed to exist in numbers lower than 250 in the wild. That's why wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee visited the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary in India... to see the Gharia with his own two eyes and capture the sight on camera for the world to delight in.

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 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 big 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 have feared the end of this species is near.

However, Dhritiman's photos spark hope for the species to 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 compelling as well as scientifically essential."

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You can see all kinds of incredible animal and travel photos by following Dhritiman Mukherjee on Instagram

@dhritiman_mukherjee

Elana