Indian photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee spent several weeks in a national reserve in India called Chambal.
And there he was able to take an incredible photo in which a huge crocodile swims along the sacred river and “transports” a hundred little cubs on its wide back.
The Ganges residents are on the verge of extinction due to the deterioration of conditions in their natural habitat.
In total, about six hundred and fifty adult representatives of this rare species remain in Nepal and India, and most of the individuals – five hundred – are in Chambala. These unique reptiles are more than 4 meters long and weigh up to 900 kilograms.
Other crocodiles transport offspring in the mouth, but the muzzle of the Gangetic gharials is narrow and long, and the teeth are incredibly sharp. Therefore, representatives of this species have chosen a different way of moving babies through the water – on large backs.
In the picture, Mukherjee is a huge male that probably mated with seven or eight females. All the little crocodiles settled on the father’s back: it is the males that perform the transportation functions.
The photo, taken by a talented and patient photographer, received the highest praise in a competition hosted by the Natural History Museum, London. Mukherjee is one of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year nominees.
