ACI provides govt with incubator to produce baby crocodiles

ACI Ltd, one of the leading agro, chemical and pharmaceutical companies in the country, has provided the government with a reptile incubator to hatch the eggs of a critically endangered species of freshwater crocodile, officials said.
The incubator will be used in hatching the eggs of freshwater crocodiles now living in a pond of Khan Jahan Ali Mazar in Bagerhat district.
Department of Livestock Services (DLS) has recently received the incubator from the company, an ACI official said. Dr Mohammad Nurul Amin, DLS Deputy Director, received the incubator at ACI office in city's Tejgaon area last week.
He said the country has now freshwater crocodiles only in three places --- Gilatora Zoo in Khulna, Companiganj in Noakhali and Khan Jahan Ali Mazar. The freshwater crocodile is a 'critically endangered' species.  
DLS aims to produce more freshwater crocodiles and save the endangered crocodile species in the country, Mr Amin said, adding that one of the crocodiles at Khan Jahan Ali Mazar laid 50 eggs three weeks back which have been preserved. "We had no such an incubator earlier. Now we can hatch the eggs and the population of the variety will increase," he said.
According to Department of Zoology under Dhaka University, freshwater crocodiles have been living in the pond of Khan Jahan Ali Mazar for 600 years.
FH Ansary, executive director of ACI (agro), said adopting a new technology can increase the population of crocodiles in the country.
Commercial crocodile farming is emerging as a new business in the country, he said, adding that now it has been an export item due to huge demand for crocodiles across the globe.
    tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com