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Meet the newest residents of New York City: Three Sunda gharial crocodiles. They’re living at the Bronx Zoo in the World of Reptiles exhibition.
The three male siblings are about 5 years old and hail from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. They’ll now be raised at the Bronx Zoo to help with breeding efforts as part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Sunda Gharial Species Survival Plan. See them enjoying their new digs in a video here.
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Sunda gharials are a freshwater crocodilian species found in flooded forests, swamps, and wetlands throughout Southeast Asia, specifically Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (Sumatera, Jawa, Kalimantan), and Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak), the Bronx Zoo explained. The species, known as one of the giant crocodilians, can grow as long as 18 feet and is considered an apex predator within its ecosystem.
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Sadly, these incredible creatures are also listed as endangered animals. Fewer than 2,400 adults are estimated to remain in the wild. They face myriad threats, such as habitat loss, illegal hunting, and the climate crisis. In its original habitat range, the species is extinct in Malaysia (Sabah) and Thailand, per The International Union for Conservation of Nature.
That’s why zoos and aquariums are stepping in to try to help. Members of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums have developed a collaborative propagation program as they try to ensure the survival of a genetically diverse population of this species.
There are 36 Sunda gharials in AZA zoos and aquariums and another 118 estimated in zoos and aquariums worldwide. Among those, the Bronx Zoo was the first zoo in the United States to successfully hatch the Sunda gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) nearly four decades ago in 1985.
The Bronx Zoo, which dates back to 1899, is world-renowned for its work in animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, education, science and conservation.