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The
Madras
Crocodile
Bank
Trust
and
Centre
for
Herpetology
(MCBT)
is
a
reptile
zoo
and
herpetology
research
station,
located
40
Km
south
of
the
city
of
Chennai.
It
covers
8.5
acres.
The
centre
is
both
a
registered
trust
and
a
recognized
zoo
under
the
Wildlife
(Protection)
Act,
1972
and
comes
under
the
purview
of
the
Central
Zoo
Authority,
Ministry
of
Environment
and
Forests,
Government
of
India.
The
Madras
Crocodile
Bank
was
conceived
in
1973
and
started
on
26
August
1976
by
herpetologist
Romulus
Whitaker
at
the
time
when
the
Indian
government
protected
all
three
species
of
Indian
crocodilians
under
the
Wild
Life
Protection
Act
of
1972.
Whitaker
founded
the
bank
to
conserve
the
three
species
of
reptiles
namely,
the
mugger,
the
gharial,
and
the
saltwater
crocodile.
There
are
more
than
14
species
of
crocodilians
at
the
bank
from
all
around
the
world.
With
the
addition
of
turtles,
lizards
and
snakes,
the
bank
was
renamed
the
Madras
Crocodile
Bank
Trust
and
Center
for
Herpetology.
The
centre
is
one
of
the
largest
reptile
zoos
in
the
world.
Center
is
home
to
28
species
of
freshwater
turtles
and
tortoises
some
of
which
are
extremely
endangered.
The
centere
is
engaged
in
crocodile
conservation,
Turtles
and
tortoises
conservation,
Snake
conservation
and
venom
extraction.
The
Irula
Snake
Catchers'
Industrial
Cooperative
Society,
which
has
a
daily
venom
extraction
show
for
the
public
at
its
snake
farm.
The
centre
also
has
Four
Komodo
dragons.
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