Our Projects

The Reptile Conservancy Alliance (RCA), in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and supported by its consortium partners, undertook a comprehensive field study of the mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) population along the Kollidam River system. The study was successfully completed and submitted to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, providing a robust scientific foundation for future conservation planning, conflict mitigation measures, and long-term species management in the region.

Key Highlights

• Comprehensive assessment of mugger crocodile populations along the Kollidam River system.
• Documentation of habitat use, movement patterns, behaviour, and nesting ecology.
• Evaluation of human–crocodile interactions and conflict-prone areas.
• Special focus on the ecologically significant Anaikkarai landscape.
• Generation of field-based data to support evidence-based conservation planning.
• Recommendations for conflict mitigation and population management.
• Scientific inputs for the proposed establishment of a dedicated crocodile conservation centre.

Snake conservation and snakebite mitigation are not seasonal programmes for the Reptile Conservancy Alliance — they are a continuous, evolving commitment. The RCA is continuously working to build a Tamil Nadu where communities understand snakes, where fear gives way to respect, and where no life is lost to a preventable snakebite. Through sustained field programmes, community outreach, first-response training, and data-driven advocacy, we are changing the relationship between people and snakes — one village at a time.

• Documented 1,013 snakebite cases through systematic hospital and field surveys.
• Reached over 4,500 farming families with snakebite awareness and first-response training.
• Installed awareness materials and public wall paintings to promote safe snakebite management.
• Strengthened community capacity through trainer workshops and stakeholder engagement.

The Reptile Conservancy Alliance (RCA), through the proposed Temple of Reptiles in Thanjavur and in collaboration with international conservation partners, is advancing a dedicated conservation programme for two Critically Endangered freshwater turtle species—the Asian Giant Softshell Turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) and Leith’s Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia leithii). With both species facing severe threats from habitat degradation, sand mining, bycatch, and declining river health, the initiative aims to strengthen their long-term survival through science-based conservation interventions in the Cauvery river system.

The programme integrates field research, captive breeding, community stewardship, and international collaboration to create a coordinated conservation response. Key activities include population and nesting surveys, establishment of a managed assurance population, engagement of fishing communities and riverbank farmers as conservation partners, open data sharing, and partnerships with leading zoological and conservation institutions in India and abroad. Together, these efforts seek to safeguard freshwater turtles while promoting the ecological health of the Cauvery River landscape.

The Reptile Conservancy Alliance (RCA) delivers community-based environmental education and outreach programmes that promote human–reptile coexistence, snakebite prevention, and reptile conservation across Tamil Nadu. Through village engagement, school and college programmes, rescue awareness initiatives, and partnerships with government agencies.

Building on its regional success, RCA is expanding its impact through the Save Reptile Campaign, an ambitious pan-India awareness road trip spanning all 28 States and Union Territories. The campaign will engage zoos, forest departments, educational institutions, corporations, community groups, and the media, creating a nationwide platform for reptile conservation awareness, policy engagement, and community participation while advancing RCA’s vision of fostering coexistence between people and reptiles.

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The Reptile Conservancy Alliance (RCA) is establishing a dedicated Outdoor Laboratory in the Cauvery Delta as a living field research facility where reptiles and other native wildlife can be studied in their natural environment. Designed as an extension of the Temple of Reptiles initiative, the facility enables long-term monitoring of species behaviour, ecology, and habitat use while generating valuable scientific data to support conservation planning and management.

The Outdoor Laboratory will serve as a collaborative platform for researchers, universities, and conservation institutions, offering opportunities for field studies, student research, and academic partnerships. Guided by scientific best practices and supported by open-access data sharing, the initiative aims to transform the Cauvery Delta into a nationally significant hub for herpetological research, conservation innovation, and biodiversity education.

The Temple of Reptiles is a bold conservation vision rooted in the history, culture, and ecology of the Cauvery Delta. At a time when over 21% of the world’s reptile species face extinction and nearly 45,000 people in India lose their lives to snakebites each year, the project seeks to transform the relationship between people and reptiles. Founded by the Reptile Conservancy Alliance (RCA), the initiative aims to replace fear with understanding, conflict with coexistence, and indifference with stewardship through education, conservation, and community engagement.

Located in Thanjavur, a region with a historic connection to reptile conservation, the Temple of Reptiles will serve as a dedicated centre for learning, research, and public engagement. Combining traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation science, it will function as a living classroom where visitors can experience, understand, and appreciate reptiles and amphibians in a safe and inspiring environment. Leveraging the unparalleled outreach potential of zoos, which collectively attract hundreds of millions of visitors annually, the centre aspires to become a national model for reptile conservation, environmental education, and sustainable coexistence.

Formally accredited by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, strongly recommended by the Government of Tamil Nadu, and guided by the Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, the Temple of Reptiles represents a pioneering effort to create lasting conservation impact while restoring Thanjavur’s legacy as a centre for wildlife learning and stewardship.