Crocodile Bank Chennai Entry Fee
- 100 per person for Adults
- 50 per person for Children (Below 10 yrs of age)
- 300 per person for Night Safari
Crocodile Bank Chennai Phone
044 2747 2447
Rating: 
| 4/5 stars
Based on total 55 reviews
Crocodile Bank Chennai Address: Post Bag No 4, Mamallapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603104, India
Crocodile Bank Chennai Tour Packages
Crocodile Bank Chennai Timings
| Day | Timing |
|---|---|
| Monday | Closed / Holiday |
| Tuesday | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Night Safari) |
| Wedesday | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Night Safari) |
| Thursday | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Night Safari) |
| Friday | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Night Safari) |
| Saturday | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Night Safari) |
| Sunday | 9:00 am – 5:30 pm 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Night Safari) |
Note:Ticket counter closes at 5:00 pm
Links: Website | MapOne of the popular tourist attractions, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology (MCBT), commonly known as Crocodile Bank is located 40 kms from the city of Chennai. It is one of the largest reptile zoos in the world, spread across over 8.5 acres of land.
It is the largest crocodile sanctuary in the country and a major tourist attraction in Chennai.
History of Crocodile Bank Chennai
By the Mid 20th century, the country's crocodile population was exploited to the verge of extinction and this prompted the government to declare all the three species of Indian crocodile protected under the Wildlife Act.
Launch of the Indian Crocodile Conservation project by the Indian government in collaboration with the United Nations in 1975 was the major pushback for the formal constitution of the Madras Crocodile Bank.
As a result, Madras Crocodile Bank was established by Rom and Zai Whittaker in 1976 with the objective of protecting India’s diminishing crocodile population and to preserve the indegineous art of snake catching.
Once the need for the conservation of reptiles grew, the Crocodile Bank took up the preservation of turtles, lizards and snakes as well and came to be known as the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Center for Herpetology in 2003.
Wildlife Conservation Activities at Crocodile Bank Chennai
The Madras Crocodile Bank aims at the conservation of nature and natural resources, particularly at the conservation of herpetofauna in their natural habitats. It’s role can be summarised as follows:
1. Animal Research and Publication: The Crocodile Bank acts as a vast outdoor laboratory providing opportunities to observe and document reptile’s morphological features, social behaviour and breeding biology at close range. It also publishes a biannual herpetology journal and is home to the largest collection of herpetological literature in India.
2. Consultation Services: The Crocodile Bank provides consultation services on reptile management and conservation issues to various organisations.
3. Reptile Conservation: It is the largest breeding center of crocodiles in the country. It has successfully bred 5000 crocodiles and alligators including the three endangered Indian crocodile species (the mugger crocodile, saltwater crocodile and gharial) along with several threatened species of turtles such as Batagur Kachuga.
4. Snake Conservation and Venom Extraction: The Crocodile Bank houses one of the only approved venom extraction centres in India, the Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative Society. The Irulas are one of the most written about, recorded, studied and admired indigenous forest scientist communities in the world.
5. Mobile Exhibition: The Crocodile Bank organises frequent mobile exhibition cum awareness programmes for the nearby fishing villages.
6. Educational Programmes: From time to time the Bank organises camps, field trips, training workshops and nature clubs for schools, universities and villages.
Image Gallery of Crocodile Bank Chennai
Things to do at the Crocodile Bank Chennai
The Crocodile Bank is frequented by a large number of wildlife lovers, researchers and students. It is one of the best weekend escapes with your family and friends. You can indulge in various activities at the center:
1. Herpetofauna: You can spot some of the rare reptilian species in their natural habitats. The bank currently houses almost 2400 crocodiles, many snake species such as Red Sand Boa, Spectacled Cobra, Russell’s Viper, Buff-striped Keelback to name a few, lizards such as Gecko, Brahminy Skink, Snake Skink and a number of turtle species.
One of the biggest attractions of the park is a fierce saltwater crocodile species, which is the biggest in South Asia called Caimans. Recently acquired Komodo dragons are quite popular among children.
2. Bird Spotting: Bird lovers and nature admirers can spot a number of rare avian species at the centre such as White Headed Babbler, Blue tailed bee-eater, Coppersmith Barbet, Black drongo, Brahminy Kite, Yellow Wagtail, Red-wattled Lapwing to name a few.
3. Overnight Adventures: Crocodile Bank offers wildlife lovers a 2 days and 1 night stay filled with interactive sessions and snake hunts with Irulas giving you one of the thrilling and truly memorable experiences. One can opt for the night safari to experience the wilderness in a whole new way as well.
4. Junior Zoo Keeper: Center offers one of the unique and wonderful opportunities for the young enthusiasts to help in caring and day to day upkeep of the reptilian friends. Gone are the days of role play, here is your chance to be a zoo keeper of a real zoo for a whole day!!
5. Guided Tours: You can pre book a guided tour which sometimes culminates with ‘show and tell’ giving a close up view of reptiles and their behaviour.
6. Underwater Exhibit: You can get to see magnificent gharial at its best , meandering among fishes and freshwater turtles in an aquarium. It might prove to be a spine chilling experience for some!
Crocodile Bank Timings and Entry Fee
Crocodile Bank is open to the visitors on all days of the week from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm and entry tickets are issued till 5.00 pm only. It is closed on Mondays which is weekly off for the staff of the Bank.
Entry fee of Crocodile Bank is Rs. 100 for Adults and Rs.50 for children below 10 years of age.
Night safari is organised from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm, you can even book it online from the official website of Madras Crocodile Bank.
Best Time to Visit the Crocodile Bank
Chennai experiences dry and wet tropical climates throughout the year. The winter months from November to March are the most favorable to visit the Crocodile Bank when the temperature is in a comfortable range.
How to reach the Crocodile Bank
Located approximately 40 kms south of Chennai, on the Coromandel Coast, Crocodile Bank is easily accessible by state roadways buses, private taxis from top car rental companies in Chennai, auto rickshaws that operate on the scenic east coast road. The nearest airport is Chennai international Airport which is almost 40 kms from the Bank. The closest railway station is Chennai Central Railway Station which is approximately 42 kms from the Crocodile Bank.
Visitor Tips
- Abide by the rules and maintain the decorum of the place.
- Do not feed the animals on your own.
- Children must be accompanied at all times.
- Please refrain from littering the surroundings.
- Please respect the space of the animals and birds and do not cause any harm to the inhabitants of the Bank.
The Crocodile Park is one of the most alluring tourist places for the elders and children alike. At Crocodile Park, a number of activities are held to impart knowledge and information in an interactive and fun way. Covered with luxuriant coastal dune forest and inhabiting a wide range of fauna, this place is an instant hit among nature enthusiasts. You must visit the Crocodile park on the trip to Chennai. Book a Chennai tour package from Chennai Tourism, a division of Holidays DNA to visit Crocodile bank and other popular sightseeing places of Chennai. Please fill the Contact Us form to know more.
