Chennai snake park breeds endangered reptiles

“The reptiles were brought to the zoo in 1993 as subadults from a zoo in Orissa. In 2020, out of 26 hatchlings, 23 were successfully reared and now they are about 1.5 years old,” Dr S Paulraj, executive chairman of the Chennai Snake Park Trust, said. 

“With a fund of Rs 5 lakh from the Tamil Nadu Environment Department, the new modern enclosure was constructed. It was constructed adjacent to the adult Gharial enclosure. The new enclosure has been built in a way for visitors could see the whole area and observe the animals easily through an 8-feet tall glass barrier,” Paulraj added. The young ones will be fed live fish, to allow them to learn to hunt. It has been proposed to release them into their native habitat in the Ganges river once they become sub-adults in four years. Proposals have been submitted to the Central Zoo Authority of India for this reintroduction programme.