Dhritiman Mukherjee is the wildlife photographer who caught this rare sight on film. Getting very close to a gharial crocodile while carrying a hundred of his babies is quite an extraordinary feat in itself as the male crocodile can be very protective of its young and will become aggressive if threatened.
The gharial is one of the endangered crocodilian species native to India and Nepal. As of 2017, the IUCN estimates about 650 adult gharials left in the world, although its population trend indicates an increasing number, most likely due to conservation efforts. Just this year, Fort Worth Zoo reported four new gharial babies.
Generally, crocodiles will carry their young in their mouths, however, since the gharial's snout is too narrow, the hatchlings ride on their father's back instead. The gharial, of which Mukherjee had taken a photo, apparently mated with around 7 to 8 females, which explains why he has 100 babies on his back.
(Image credit: Dhritiman Mukherjee)