IN-SITU CONSERVATION GUINDY NATIONAL PARK

EX-SITU CONSERVATION Crocodile Bank

chennai

Guindy National ParkGuindy 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, slugs, scorpions, mites, earthworms, millipedes, and the like.

HistoryOnce 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.

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

The Map

HabitatsThe 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.

FloraThe 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.

Fauna

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.

Ex-situ conservation in Guindy National parkFor 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, mongoose, 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.

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.

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.

DONE BYGroup : ENLIGHTENMENTGroup members :

1. J.V.R.Abishek2. Nirman Panpatil3. Naina Mohamed4. B.Hariharan5. Dheeraj Angral6. Mohideen Park

Bio diversity of the crocodile BANK in chennai

WE HAVE CHOSEN TO DO THE BIODIVERSITY IN CROC BANK AS AN INVESTIGATORY PROJECTS

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

THE CROC BANK BEFORE THE

FLOODS

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 and environmental issues.

  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,

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 

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. 

OTHER SPECIES AT THE BANK

COMMON SPECIES TOTAL NUMBER

Crocodilians

•  Mugger or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)

2115

  Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) 12ETC

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

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 UNBALANCED AND POLLUTED.

NOW IT IS OUR DUTY TO CONSERVE THEM OR ATLEAST WE CAN STOP USING THE LEATHER BAGS OR ANYOTHER ITEMS MADE OF THEIR ANY BODY PARTS

THE FEEDING OF CROCS

THE CROC BANK AFTER THE FLOODS

THANKS !!!! FOR WATCHING !!!!

DONE BY:FLORA