“These crocodiles, born without any characteristic difference with other crocodiles, are growing in the park for release in the wild later,” said Shubhendu Bandyopadhyay, Divisional Forest Officer, South 24-Parganas district.

The estuarine crocodiles, also found in Bhitarkanika in Orissa, were born yellowish with black dots on the skin, like other crocodiles, but the yellow tone faded away with time to a paper-white colour.

These white crocodiles are the same as “Gori”, the albino crocodile known for her aggressive behaviour to partners in the Bhitarkanika, he said, adding, one of the two-foot-long reptiles is nearly one year-old and the other is three-year old.

“More visitors will be able to see the white crocodiles once the construction of a 17-km road under PMGSY and the bridge at Gangadharpur are completed,” said BDO of Pathar Pratima block Achintya Hazra.

Set up to boost estuarine crocodile population, 410 crocodiles reared in captivity at Bhagabatpur have been released since 1982 in the estuaries of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and deltas of Kalas, Bhagabatpur, Dhunchi, Baghmara, Haldi and Mayadwip, Bandyopadhyay said.

After first captive breeding of crocodiles in Bangkok in 1960, crocodiles were born in captivity in Japan, Jakarta, Singapore and Bhagabatpur in 1982.

Born to six female and three male parents, an average of 25 young crocodiles born here are released annually after four years of rearing when they grow more than four feet in length and 10 kg in weight, said Kshitish Chandra Gayen, Forest Range officer.