Two young Ganges gharials, an endangered species of mini crocodile, have settled into their new home at the Aquatis aquarium and vivarium in Lausanne as part of a conservation programme for the species.
The crocodiles were born in a zoo in the Czech Republic five years ago and have spent four years at an aquarium in Geneva being studied as part of university research.
The fish-eating crocodiles are native to India and Nepal and are recognizable by their narrow, elongated jaws. There are thought to be between just 300 and 900 adults left in the wild. Water pollution, dams, over-fishing and hunting threaten the survival of the species.
The two crocodiles in Lausanne currently measure 89 and 99 centimetres long. However, they can grow to six metres. They are expected to remain at Aquatis for between four and six years before being moved to a zoo in Jersey in the UK when they become too big.
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