28 — 
9. — The Crocodiles of Jaipur. 
Beyond the garden of the Palace in Jaipur there is a 
square tank where crocodiles are kept. I visited this place 
on May 17, 1913. I could not measure the area of the 
tank, but it cannot be less than five acres (2*02 hectares) 
and might perhaps be as much as twelve acres (4*85 hectares) 
in extent. This tank is said to have been built about 200 
years ago, the city of Jaipur having been founded by Jai 
Singh in 1728. 
So far as I could ascertain, there are now nine crocodiles 
in the tank, apparently all Crocodilus palustris. The largest 
specimens appear to be about 9 to 10 feet (2*74 to 3*04 
metres) in length and are very stout. Apparently they are 
very old and have scarred and lumpy heads. One individual 
is toothless. 
The keeper of the crocodiles, a Mohammedan, took me 
to a flight of stone steps leading down into the water and 
then commenced calling. It was a wonderful sight to see 
the crocodiles, hundreds of yards away in various parts of 
the large tank, take notice of the man’s voice and start 
swimming to the steps ; and not only crocodiles came but 
also several huge soft-turtles, with longitudinal streaks on 
their heads, probably Trionyx gangeticiis. 
Actually five crocodiles swam to the steps and were very 
bold, coming out of the water to half or three quarters of 
their length. In fact, probably they would have come 
right out of the tank and up the steps if their keeper had 
allowed them to do so. 
The man fed them by hand with pieces of raw meat. The 
crocodiles show much individuality : one just holds its mouth 
wide open and keeps still, waiting its turn to be fed, another 
fusses about snapping and hissing and roaring. 
The keeper knows each reptile apart and its character. 
He carries a thin stick in his hand with which he smacks his 
charges over the head and makes them behave and take 
their portions of the meal in due order. 
Meanwhile the turtles do all they can to attract notice, 
and the keeper with his stick and voice drives off the 
crocodiles and gives the turtles their share. 
