Voluntary Nature Conservancy

Charotar Crocodile Count

An annual citizen science survey of the mugger crocodiles living in the village ponds and reservoirs of Charotar Region in Gujarat. Three days of fieldwork, training and talks. No previous experience needed.

Register to Participate → Event Overview
  • Dates8–10 Jan 2027
  • VenueAnand, GJ, IND
  • Registration closes31 Oct 2026

A decade of coexistence

◆ About The Event

Charotar is one of the rare places in India where an apex predator lives alongside dense human settlement. The mugger crocodiles here are not inside a sanctuary, they share village ponds, canal banks and rivers with the people who use that water every day.

Since 2013, the Charotar Crocodile Count has been a benchmark for tracking this population. Over three days it combines field biology, workshops and open discussion, bringing people together from across the country to learn about crocodile ecology, coexistence, and how field research is actually done.

Who it’s for

You don’t need a background in biology. Researchers and students have always attended but so have educators, writers, photographers, and people simply curious about how large wildlife survives outside protected forests.

No prior field experience is required. The event trains you from the ground up, including crocodilian behaviour, field safety, how to spot a submerged snout, how to estimate an animal’s size, how to record wetland conditions, and more.

About VNC India

Voluntary Nature Conservancy is based in Anand, Gujarat. It began with something simple – weekend bird walks, cycling trips into the countryside, and an appreciation for being outdoors.

Those informal outings grew into a full conservation organisation. Today VNC works across scientific research, community conservation and environmental education and much of it is focused on taking ecology out of textbooks and into the field through hands-on programmes for students, teachers and local communities.

The Charotar Crocodile Count grew out of that same conviction that conservation doesn’t happen at a distance. People protect what they have walked alongside, watched closely, and come to understand.

Learn more about VNC India →

How the three days run

◆ Event Schedule
Day 01

Check-in & Orientation

  • 14:00 Arrival, check-in, kit collection and room allocation
  • 16:30 Welcome, and an introduction to the Charotar wetlands
  • 17:30 Session: mugger ecology and identifying what you see
  • 19:00 Keynote: living alongside crocodiles in Gujarat
  • 20:30 Dinner, and briefings with your field team
Day 02

Field Count & Workshops

  • 07:00 Departure for designated wetland sites
  • 08:00 Basking survey and transect mapping
  • 12:30 Return to base & lunch
  • 14:30 Workshop: survey method and recording data
  • 17:00 Panel: conservation led by the communities who live here
Day 03

Validation & Synthesis

  • 07:30 Secondary morning validation count
  • 10:30 Consolidating and cross-checking every team's datasheets
  • 12:00 Provisional count announced
  • 13:30 Closing, certificates and lunch before departure

Meet the chief guest

Dr. Ruchira Somaweera

Dr. Ruchira Somaweera is an internationally recognized herpetologist and evolutionary biologist specializing in reptile adaptation and conservation in rapidly changing environments. With over 18 years of fieldwork across Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Pacific, his research investigates how species respond to urbanization, climate change, and habitat loss—with a dedicated focus on crocodiles and other reptiles.

A National Geographic Explorer, Principal Scientist at Stantec Australia, and Adjunct Associate Professor at Murdoch University, Dr. Somaweera also serves as an advisor to IUCN and UN conservation committees. He has authored six books and numerous scientific papers, while bringing reptile science to millions worldwide through features on National Geographic, the BBC, and the Discovery Channel.

Participation fees & inclusions

One fee covers everything on the ground for all three days — accommodation, every meal, local transport and your field kit. Travel to Vallabh Vidyanagar is your own.

◆ Fees

Registration Tiers

One fee, everything on the ground included. Register early and pay less.

Early Bird
₹3,500
Valid until 30 Sep 2026
Standard
₹4,000
Until 31 Oct 2026
Register Now →

What the fee covers

Travel to venue is the only thing you arrange yourself.

  • Accommodation in shared but gender-separated rooms
  • All meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Local transport between hostel, venue and every survey site
  • Participant's kit which includes some essentials and goodies
  • Full access including talks, seminars, and training
  • Certificate of participation

Reserve your spot

Takes a couple of minutes. Payment happens immediately after you submit, and your confirmation arrive by email straight away.

◆ Registration
Participant details

Please use your name exactly as it appears on the photo ID you'll bring to check-in.

You must be 18 or older on the day of the event.
Contact
Your confirmation will be sent here.
Background
Emergency contact

Someone we can reach who isn't attending with you.

Confirmations

You'll be taken to Razorpay to complete payment right after submitting.

✓

Confirming your registration

We've received your payment and are confirming your spot. Your confirmation email will arrive shortly.

Frequently asked questions

◆ FAQs
Do I need any experience to take part?
None at all. Every year a large share of participants are doing their first survey of any kind. Training in species identification, size estimation and data recording happens on the first day, and every field team is led by someone experienced. What you need is a willingness to be outdoors for several hours and to record what you see carefully.
Who can participate?
Anyone aged 18 or over on 8 January 2027, from any background. Students, working professionals, teachers, researchers and complete newcomers to fieldwork all take part. The age limit is firm: this is unsupervised outdoor work near open water, and we are not able to take responsibility for minors within the team structure.
What does the registration fee cover?
Everything on the ground for the full three days: shared accommodation for two nights, all meals from dinner on 8 January to lunch on 10 January, tea and refreshments, all local transport to and from the survey sites, a participant’s field kit with datasheets and survey guides, full access to every session and workshop, and a certificate of participation. Travel to and from Vallabh Vidyanagar is not included and is arranged by you.
Where will I stay, and what are the rooms like?
Participants stay together at a hostel facility in Vadtal. Rooms are triple-occupancy and non-air-conditioned, with attached bathrooms. There is no internet access at the hostel, so please make your own arrangements if you need to stay connected. Rooms are gender-separated and allocated by the organising team based on availability — there is nothing to request during registration, and we are unable to take specific room preferences.
What food is provided?
Simple vegetarian meals, cooked locally, are served throughout the event. We are not able to cater for individual dietary requirements or preferences, so if you have specific needs please plan accordingly and bring what you require.
What should I bring?
Comfortable field clothing in muted colours, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sturdy closed walking shoes, a refillable water bottle, any personal medication, and binoculars if you own a pair. Bring the same photo ID you registered with — you will need it at check-in. Datasheets, survey guides and your field kit are provided.
Where do the sessions and fieldwork take place?
Talks and workshops are held at the conference hall at CHARUSAT in Changa, our co-host for this edition. Surveys take place at assigned water bodies across the Charotar region. All transport between the accommodation, the venue and the field sites is organised and paid for by us.
Can I pay on the day?
No — the fee must be paid during registration. Places are limited to 70 and are confirmed only once payment is complete, so paying in advance is what secures your spot.
Can I cancel and get a refund?
Registration is non-refundable, except if the organisers cancel the event. Places are planned around a fixed budget and set of field teams, so a spot withdrawn close to the date is usually one nobody else can take up. Please register only when you are confident you can attend.
I am paying from outside India. What are my options?
We can arrange an alternative payment method for international participants. Please get in touch before registering and we will sort it out with you.
Is any financial assistance available?
We are not currently able to offer travel scholarships or fee waivers. Participants cover their own registration fee and their travel to and from Vallabh Vidyanagar.
Something went wrong during registration. What now?
Get in touch and we will help you finish it. If a payment was taken but you did not receive a confirmation email, contact us before trying again so we can check the record and avoid a duplicate charge.

Still have questions?

We usually reply within two working days. Close to the event dates, please call rather than email.

◆ Contact
Email info@vncindia.org Registration, payment & general queries
Phone +91 98981 42170 Mon–Fri, 10:00–18:00 IST
Organisation Voluntary Nature Conservancy 101, Radha Darshan, B/H Union Bank, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand – 388120