Guidy National Park and Crocodile bank

1. IN-SITU CONSERVATION
GUINDY NATIONAL PARK
EX-SITU CONSERVATION
Crocodile Bank
chennai

2. Guindy National Park
Guindy National Park is a
2.70 km2 (1.04 sq mi) Protected area of Tamil
Nadu, located in Chennai, South India, is the
8th smallest National Park of India and one of
the very few national parks situated inside
a city. The park is an extension of the grounds
surrounding Raj Bhavan, formerly known as
the 'Guindy Lodge', the official residence of
the Governor of Tamil Nadu, India.
The park has a role in both ex-situ and in-
situ conservation and is home to
400 blackbucks, 2,000 spotted deers,
24 jackals, a wide variety of
snakes, geckos, tortoises and over 130 species
of birds, 14 species of mammals, over 60
species of butterflies and spiders each, a
wealth of different invertebrates—
grasshoppers, ants, termites, crabs, snails, slu
gs, scorpions, mites, earthworms, millipedes,
and the like.

3. History
Once covering an area of 5 km2 (1.93 sq mi) of
one of the last remnants of tropical dry
evergreen forest of the Coromandel Coast,
Guindy Park was originally a game reserve. In
the early 1670s, a garden space was carved out
of the Guindy forest and a residence called
the Guindy Lodge was built by Governor William
Langhorne (1672–1678). Between 1961 and
1977, about 172 ha of the forest, primarily
from the Raj Bhavan, was transferred to
various government departments in order to
build educational institutions and memorials.
In 1977, the forest area was transferred to
the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. In 1978,
the whole of the remaining area, popularly
known then as the Guindy Deer Park, was
declared a national park.

4. Location Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Nearest city Chennai
Area 2.7057 square kilometers (1.0447 sq mi)
Established 1977
Visitors
Visiting hours
700,000 (in 2006)
9 AM to 6 PM (except on Tuesdays)
Governing body Tamil Nadu Forest Department
INFORMATION

5. The Map

6. Habitats
The ecosystem consists of the rare tropical dry evergreen scrub and thorn
forests receiving about 1200 mm of rainfall annually. This vegetation has
been reclassified as the Albizia amara Boiv. community. The region’s
physiognomy occurs as discontinuous or dense scrub-woodlands and
thickets, containing species such as introduced Acacia planifrons, Clausena
dentata shrubs, palmyrah palm (Borassus flabellifer), Randia
dumetorum, Randia malabarica, Carissa spinarum, Acacia chundra, exotic
cactus Cereus peruviana and Glycosmis mauritiana. The park has a tropical
dissymmetric climate. The mean annual temperatures are 32.9 °C
(maximum) and 24.3 °C (minimum). Rainfall ranges from 522 to 2,135 mm,
with an average annual rainfall of 1,215 mm.

7. Flora
The park has a dry evergreen scrub and thorn forest,
grasslands and water bodies with over 350 species of plants
including shrubs, climbers, herbs and grasses and over 24
variety of trees, including the sugar-apple, Atlantia
monophylla, wood-apple, and neem. This flora provides an ideal
habitat for over 150 species of birds. About one-sixth of the
park has been left as open grassland to preserve that habitat
for blackbucks.

8. Faun
a
There are over 14 species of mammals
including blackbuck, chital or spotted deer,jackal, small
Indian civet, common palm civet, bonnet
macaque, hyena, pangolin,hedgehog,
common mongoose and three-striped palm squirrel. The
park also hasblack-naped hare and several species of bats
and rodents.
The park has over 150 species of birds including grey
partridge, crow pheasant,parrot, quail, paradise fly-
catcher, black-winged kite, honey buzzard, pariah
kite,golden-backed woodpecker, yellow-wattled lapwing, red-
wattled lapwing, blue-faced malkoha, shrikes, Asian
koel, minivets, munias, parakeet, tailor bird, robin, drongo,
and stone curlew. Bird watchers anticipate migratory birds
here like teals,garganeys, pochards, medium egrets, large
egrets, night herons, pond herons andopen-billed
storks every fall season. The park is home to about 9
species of amphibians. There are also many kinds ofreptiles,
including saw-scaled viper and the fan-throated lizard. Some
species of tortoise and turtles—especially the
endangered star tortoise, lizards, geckos,chameleons and
the common Indian monitor lizard—are found here, as well
as a large variety of insects including 60 species of spiders
and 60 species of butterflies.

9. Ex-situ conservation in Guindy National park
For ex-situ conservation, about 22 acres
(8.9 ha) of the Guindy National Park has
been carved out into a park known as
the Children's Park and play area at the
northeast corner of the national park
with a collection of animals and birds.
Animals in the Children’s Park include
black buck, sambar, spotted
deer, porcupine, jackal, python, grey
pelican, night
heron, cormorant,cockatiel, parrot, mong
oose, common peafowl, crocodile, common
otter, rhesus monkey, bonnet
monkey and common langur. The
Children's Park also exhibits a fossilised
tree specimen which is estimated to be
about 20 million years old and a statue of
a Tyrannosaurus at the entrance.

10. Effect of Chennai floods in
Guindy National Park
New pond at Guindy National Park arrests
flooding in area.
CHENNAI: While several
areas in the city are
struggling to cope with
water logging, it's not a
problem in and around the
Guindy National Park (GNP).
Wildlife authorities have
dug out a new pond at the interception point on the south
western boundary of the park.

11. Zoo director K.S.S.V.P.Reddy told TOI that in the past rainwater from Raj
Bhavan and Velachery main road used to run off and mix with sewage lines
in Velachery. Now, with the formation of a new pond on the south-western
part of the park, water runoff during rainy days is totally arrested, he
said. Besides the new pond there are six smaller ponds in the area. They
can retain water till next May. Several wild animals, including spotted deer
and black buck, use the ponds to quench their thirst, Reddy said.
The work on the new pond began in March and it was completed in April.
The new pond, named ‘Jabbar Odai', is four meters wide and 2.5 meters
deep. Its bund extends up to 650 meters, and runs parallel to the
Velachery main road, behind the forest department's nursery. After the
recent rain, the pond is brimming with water.
Chennai Wildlife warden K Geethanjali said besides Jabbar Odai, GNP has
six other ponds -- Appalangulam, Kathangollai, Duck pond, Bogi pond, Lab
pond, Snake Park percolation pond. The recent rains brought in a lot of
water to all the seven ponds inside GNP. The ponds will retain water till
June next year, he said. Water from these ponds are pumped through
pipes and stored in tanks inside the Children's Park.

12. DONE BY
Group :
ENLIGHTENMENT
Group members :
1. J.V.R.Abishek
2. Nirman Panpatil
3. Naina Mohamed
4. B.Hariharan
5. Dheeraj Angral
6. Mohideen Park

13. ai

14. WE HAVE
CHOSEN TO DO
THE BIODIVERSITY
IN CROC BANK AS
AN
INVESTIGATORY
PROJECTS
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

15. THE CROC BANK BEFORE
THE FLOODS

16. THE CROC BANK
• The CrocBank is situated 40 kilometres (25 mi)
south of Chennai on the East Coast
Road at Vadanemmeli near Thiruvidandhai, close
to the Bay of Bengal, on the way
toMamallapuram
• 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 herpeto fauna and their habitats.
• To establish breeding, research, educational,
dissemination and transfer centers, field stations,
and other establishments focusing on ecological

17.  It is the largest breeding center
of crocodiles in India and has bred thousands
of crocodiles since its inception
In 2003, a 10-year program for the
conservation of freshwater turtles and
tortoises was initiated by the bank in
collaboration with government forest
departments from concerned states across
India. In May 2004, the bank successfully
bred one of the world's most critically
endangered turtles,

18. At the Croc Bank, education
is the ultimate key to long term
sustainable conservation.
 They devote a large part of
time and resources towards
educating people of all ages
and backgrounds in the
importance of conserving
reptiles and natural ecosystem

19. ANIMAL CARE AT THE BANK
• The CrocBank has a veterinary
care section with an onsite vet.
• The veterinary staff coordinates
with the curatorial staff ensuring
health and maintenance of the
animals.
• Pathological and parasitological
examinations are carried out on
all the animals on a routine basis
and a regular screening and
treatment protocol is followed.
• Individual animals are given a unique
identification number by means of
pit tags which helps keep track of the
animal's medical history.

20. OTHER SPECIES AT THE
BANK
COMMON SPECIES TOTAL NUMBER
Crocodilians
• Mugger or marsh crocodile
(Crocodylus palustris)
2115
Saltwater crocodile
(Crocodylus porosus)
12
ETC

22. TYPES OF CROCS
• Cuban crocodile: As the name itself
indicates that they are only found in
certain swamps of Cuba and Isla de la
Juventud, unfortunately this
crocodile is highly endangered
nowadays.
• At a mere length of being three
meters (9.84′) long, it surely can’t be
considered as a large one among
crocodiles, and it doesn’t wear a very
unusual appearance either, but don’t
get fooled by this; it is indeed of the
most extraordinary crocodilians, and
according to zookeepers who have
worked for a long time with them,
suggests it to be among the most
aggressive of them. Well! A far a
humans are concerned, attack on
humans are rarely reported.
• Broad-snouted
caiman : The broad-
snouted caiman is a
crocodilian reptile spotted
in eastern and central
South America, including
southeastern Brazil,
northern Argentina,
Uruguay, Paraguay and
Bolivia.
• It is found mostly in
freshwater marshes,
swamps, and mangroves.

23. THE CUBAN CROC
• Gharial : The Gharial is
considerably the most bizarre
looking crocodilian. Its very long,
very slender snout is adapted to
catch fish, as are the interlocking,
needle-like teeth. Gharials are
possibly the most aquatic of all
crocodilians, and they have very
short and weak legs; they
actually only leave water to bask
in the sun and to lay their eggs.
• They are found in India and
Nepal and is among the largest of
its fellow mates.

24. THE AMERICAN
CROC
• Freshwater crocodile:
This Australian freshwater
crocodile is another crocodile
having a slender snout
adapted to prey upon fishes.
• Although it attacks people on
seldom occasions, which
happens only when the
crocodile is trying to protect
its nest or territory, or when it
has been infuriated but most
of the time it is a very calm
and harmless animal.

25. • Slender snouted
crocodile: South East Asia,
particularly Malaysia and
Borneo are their habitats.
• They are not so oftenly
reported as one of the largest
crocodiles but there is plenty
of proof of them reaching
incredible sizes like 6 to 7
meters.
• Spectacled
Caiman: only caiman that
can be spotted in the
Northern Hemisphere (its
northernmost point marks
the states of Chiapas and
Oaxaca in Mexico), and is
also a very common
crocodilian present in the
world.

26. THERE ARE MANY OTHER SPECIES OF CROCS BUT SOME
OF THEM ARE GETTING ENDANGERED DUE TO HUNTING
etc.
DUE TO WHICH OUR ECOSYSTEM IS GETTING
UNBALANCEDAND POLLUTED.
NOW IT IS OUR DUTY TO CONSERVE THEM OR ATLEAST
WE CAN STOP USING THE LEATHER BAGS OR ANYOTHER
ITEMSMADE OF THEIRANY BODY PARTS

28. THE FEEDING OF CROCS

29. THE CROC BANK
AFTER THE
FLOODS

32. DONE BY: