"Crocodile," is an animal which makes you think twice before entering a river or lake, an animal which is responsible for numerous deaths every year, and a reptile which freaks out people more than a snake. Just imagine my reaction when I came across this magnificent and deadly reptile in the wild.



India has a good number of national parks and Sundarban National Park is one of them. Sundarban national park is a tiger and a biosphere reserve located in West Bengal. Visiting this national park has given me some unforgettable experiences. I was lucky to be accompanied by Debaprasad "Dev" Sengupta, a renowned wildlife biologist and herpetologist in Northeast India.

The best part about being accompanied by Dev was that he was very familiar with the place and that was the reason I was able to see many things. After roaming for a couple of hours in the woods, we headed towards the riverbank to check out some birds.

As we stepped on the sand of river bank and walked a few steps, Dev told me to stop and pointed at something 12 to 15 meters away. I was thunderstruck for a minute and I was getting goosebumps -it was a 11 foot long saltwater crocodile basking on sand! Saltwater crocs (Crocodylus porusus) are the biggest species of crocodile on earth.

Dev changed his camera’s lens and clicked some amazing photographs while I observed the creature. We didn’t move until the crocodile crawled in the water.

We were standing at a safe distance and had an excellent view to enjoy the show. I hope life gives me a chance again to encounter this monster in the wild.

I would especially like to thank Dev for allowing me to use this amazing photograph.

Photo: Debaprasad Sengupta