Those amazing jaws

"IS IT Barney?" asked the three-year old, as she flipped through the pages of the book. "No, this is a crocodile, while Barney is a dinosaur," replied the amused mother.

The book in question was "Croc Talk" by Zai Whitaker and Nikhil Whitaker, published by Tulika.

A guide to the Madras Crocodile Bank, designed more like a workbook, the book was released at the Goodbooks Bookstore and Resource Centre, by Romulus Whitaker.

The bank was started in 1976 to conserve the endangered species, and today, several crocs have returned to the wild, thanks to the efforts of the Whitakers.

The session, which comprised mostly kids in the 4-12 age group, and which lasted for more than an hour-and-a-half, saw the herpetologist interact very patiently with them. The kids' curiosity knew no bounds and their incessant volley of queries was indeed an eye-opener for some adults in the audience.

Before the interactive session, a film on the Crocodile Bank, made by the National Geographic Channel, was screened. The film focussed on the 14 varieties bred at the bank including the rare Siamese, the Indian gharial and the American alligator.

There was excitement writ large on the children's faces as they watched (in rapt attention) Jaws III, one of the world's last giant crocs, the slimy monitor lizards and the marsh crocs basking in the sun, in the farm.

"How long is a croc, uncle?", "What do they eat?", "Can they smell?", "What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?, "How many do you have in the bank?", "How do they protect their young ones?", "Do they attack humans?"... they wanted to know everything.

As Romulus answered the questions, one realised how little one knew about the ecosystem and animal kingdom. Romulus then narrated how one of the marsh crocs caught Nikhil's hand and how he was rescued. Promptly, the children wanted to look at the scar and Nikhil, of course, obliged.

For Zai and son Nikhil, who have been as involved as Romulus with the bank, writing the book was an important way of "winning over people, especially children, to the environment conservation. We wanted to sensitise children about animals, and thought the book would do it."

Also, "a lot of people would come to the bank and ask a whole lot of questions. Then they would ask for booklets or pamphlets to take with them. That is why we decided to write the book."

Though Zai is not too comfortable handling these reptiles ("I am what they call an armchair conservationist"), she finds them fascinating.

The book is very child-friendly. With such exercises like 'Fill in the blanks' and 'Match the following', the booklet opens up a sense of ownership for the children and also triggers their quest for knowledge.

SAVITHA PADMANABHAN

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