The freshwater carnivorous reptiles will land at Zia International Airport at 11:00pm by an Al Italian flight.

The crocodiles, once a very common species in rivers across the country, are now on the verge of extinction. Now there are only four such freshwater carnivorous reptiles, three in Chittagong and Khulna zoos and one in Khan Jahan Ali Mazar in Bagerhat.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest has taken an initiative to reintroduce the reptiles in the country's natural habitation.

The freshwater crocodiles were available in the Padma, Meghna, Dhaleshwari and Karnaphuli rivers and in their tributaries about two decades ago.

These reptiles play an important role in the water ecosystem and in the marine food chain.

Among the 40 crocodiles arriving tonight, 32 are females and eight are males. Twenty-nine of them will be sent to Dulahajara Safari Park in Cox's Bazar, six to Khan Jahan Ali Mazar and the rest to Dhaka Zoo.

Sources in the forest department said the main objective of the safari park is breeding, rehabilitation and preservation of rare and near-extinct wildlife in the country.

The forest ministry in 2003 took an initiative to this end and sought assistance from the Indian government for collecting freshwater crocodiles.

Three species of crocodiles now available in the subcontinent are salinewater crocodiles (Crocodi lus palustris), freshwater crocodiles (Crocodi lus porosus) and gharial crocodiles (Gavialis gangeticus).

There are 150 to 200 salinewater crocodiles in the Sundarbans and only a couple of gharials at Dhaka Zoo.