Amaravathi Crocodile Farm

The largest wild breeding population of Crocodiles in South India lives in the Amaravathy reservoir and in the Chinnar, Thennar and Pambar rivers that drain into it. These broad-snouted Mugger Crocodiles, also known as Marsh Crocodiles and Persian Crocodiles, are the most common and widespread of the three species of Crocodiles found in India. They eat fish, other reptiles, small and large mammals and are sometimes dangerous to humans also. Crocodiles (The mugger crocodile), once abundant in Amaravathy, Periyar and Chinnar and most of other perennial river, have been threatened to near extinction. Hence the project of captive breeding of this crocodiles came into existing at Amaravathy.

The object of captive breeding of crocodile at Amaravathy as in other Crocodile Centre in Tamilnadu is to collect Crocodile eggs from the wild clutch and rear it in captivity and release the young crocodile in the wild to restore its status.

The Amaravathy Sagar Crocodile Farm, established in 1976, the largest Crocodile nursery (captivity) in India is just 90 k from Tiruppur via Palladam and Udumalpet and One km. before the Amaravathy dam site.

Many Crocodiles of all sizes can be seen basking in the sun and suddenly making a stride or piled up on one another. Eggs are collected from wild nests along the perimeter of the reservoir to be hatched and reared at the Farm. Many adult crocodiles have been reintroduced from here into the wild. There are now 98 crocodiles (25 male + 73 female) maintained in captivity here. Three Forest Department personnel manage and maintain the Centre.