Initially, crocodiles from various captive facilities and eggs from the wild were transferred to the CrocBank to start gene pools. There was much excitement about the breeding achievements at the Bank; the first clutches of muggers, Crocodylus paluster were cared for with great tenderness. Today, the second and third generations of these crocodiles have become excellent breeders and room for all is becoming limited! Mugger crocodiles are perfect captive animals; they possess a high degree of mutual tolerance and have a social order that allows high stocking densities. In addition one male is an adequate breeding partner for 50-70 females. One of the unusual unique features at the CrocBank is the ability of our female muggers to lay two clutches of eggs, double clutching, during the same season, what we now call our ‘embarrassing success’.

A pair of saltwater crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus, since 1983, obliges the Bank by producing large clutches of eggs each April. Since 1990 their offspring have started producing eggs each year.

Breeding the gharial, Gavialis gangeticus was thought to be a little trickier in the beginning until the first successful breeding in 1989. It was then realized that females and males of this unique large reptiles have to attain a certain size class, males over 3 m and females over 2.5 m to start breeding and since then 6-8 females lay eggs annually.

The other species of crocodiles that have bred successfully at the Bank are the Spectacled caiman, Caiman crocodylus crocodylus, Siamese crocodile, Crocodylus siamensis, Morelets crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii, Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus and the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis.