The Madras Crocodile Bank on the East Coast Road is free to enter on the second Wednesday of every month until August 2027, a gesture to mark its 50th year, Deccan Chronicle reported in August. The next free days fall on 11 November and 9 December. On other days a ticket is needed, and the park is open from 9 am to 5 pm, closed on Mondays, according to the trust’s own website.
The Croc Bank sits at Vadanamelli village near Mamallapuram, about 40 km from central Chennai. It was started in 1976 by herpetologist Romulus Whitaker and Zai Whitaker with a group of fellow conservationists, and it is one of the largest reptile collections in the country. Here is what you will see and what goes on behind the enclosures.
The animals, by the numbers
The trust files an annual report with the Central Zoo Authority. The 2023-24 report is the latest one available and gives a closing stock of 715 animals across about 50 species, on a compact 3.4-hectare site.
| Group | Species held (2023-24) |
|---|---|
| Crocodilians | 15 |
| Snakes | 16 |
| Turtles and tortoises | 11 |
| Lizards | 7 |
The marsh crocodile, or mugger, is still the biggest group, with 218 animals at the close of 2023-24. That is far fewer than the 1,820 muggers recorded in the 2019-20 report, because the trust has been moving surplus animals to other facilities, including a transfer to the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Jamnagar in July 2023. The 2023-24 inventory also lists 30 gharials, 77 northern river terrapins, Komodo dragons and yellow anacondas. Births in that year totalled 158.
The trust has bred more than 5,000 crocodiles since it began, Deccan Chronicle reported. Early on, captive-bred muggers were released to restock rivers, but releases stopped because there is too little safe habitat left, the trust’s history page explains. Today the breeding groups serve as an insurance population and a teaching collection.
What to look for on a visit
- The three Indian crocodilians. The Croc Bank was set up to keep breeding groups of the mugger, the saltwater crocodile and the gharial, the three species found in India, as the trust’s history page explains. The gharial, with its thin snout, is the one most visitors have never seen in the wild.
- Species from abroad. The history page says the centre holds 14 crocodilian species, three of them listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN; the 2023-24 inventory counts 15.
- Turtles. Since 1993 the trust has also bred threatened turtles, including four Critically Endangered species, and changed its name to the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology.
- Snakes and lizards. The Komodo dragons and anacondas listed in the inventory are among the larger animals outside the crocodile ponds.
Conservation work beyond the gates
Much of the trust’s work happens far from ECR. The 2023-24 report describes the Gharial Ecology Project in the National Chambal Sanctuary, then in its 17th field season, where 451 nests were recorded and 9,554 hatchlings counted. It also describes snakebite-mitigation workshops for snake rescuers in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, with 158 rescue kits handed out.
At the park itself, the education team ran 84 programmes that reached 2,232 participants in 2023-24, and visitors can sponsor an animal under an adopt-a-reptile scheme. The trust also runs volunteer and docent programmes for adults who want hands-on work. To mark the 50th year, the trust and partners began a 120-day “Save the Reptiles” campaign across 22 states that runs until December 2026, Deccan Chronicle reported.
Planning the trip
- Pick a weekday morning. The park drew 3,34,952 visitors in 2023-24, and weekend afternoons are crowded around the main ponds.
- Do not go on Monday. That is the weekly holiday.
- Get there by road. The park is on ECR between Kovalam and Mamallapuram; buses on the ECR route stop nearby, and the CZA report notes a bus stop at the gate.
- Check ticket prices before you go. The trust’s website did not list current rates when we checked. Call +91 96770 13445 or email info@madrascrocodilebank.org, the contacts given on the trust’s shop site.
- Combine it. Mamallapuram’s monuments are a short drive south, so the Croc Bank fits easily into a day on ECR.
The monsoon can bring heavy rain to the coast in the coming weeks. Paths are open-air, so carry an umbrella and avoid red-alert days.
Quick answers
Is the Madras Crocodile Bank open on Mondays?
No. It is closed on Mondays and open 9 am to 5 pm on other days.
When is entry free?
On the second Wednesday of each month from August 2026 to August 2027, as part of the trust’s 50th-year celebrations.
How many species does the Croc Bank have?
About 50 species and 715 animals at the end of 2023-24, including 15 crocodilian species.
Who runs it?
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, a non-profit founded in 1976, recognised as a medium zoo by the Central Zoo Authority.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- About us (Madras Crocodile Bank Trust)
- History (Madras Crocodile Bank Trust)
- Annual Report 2023-24, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (Central Zoo Authority)
- Annual Report 2019-20, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (Central Zoo Authority)
- Madras Crocodile Bank Trust enters 50th year (Deccan Chronicle)
- About us (Croc Bank shop, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust)
