The critically endangered gharial has been sighted in Kaziranga National Park in Assam after being believed to have disappeared from the State’s river systems for many years.

More About the News

• The rare reptile was spotted during an early morning safari in the Burhapahar Range near Dipholu Camp in Kaziranga.
• Wildlife experts described the sighting as an important indicator of improving riverine biodiversity and successful conservation efforts in Assam.

About the Gharial

• The Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a freshwater crocodilian species native to the Indian subcontinent.
• It is easily identified by:
  • Its long and narrow snout.
  • Sharp interlocking teeth.
  • Fish-based diet.
• Male gharials develop a bulb-like structure on the snout that resembles an earthen pot which is called a “ghara” in Hindi, from which the species gets its name.

• Gharials show strong sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females differ in size and appearance.
• Unlike other crocodilians, gharials feed almost entirely on fish, even at adulthood.
• Their thin jaws are specially adapted for catching fish in fast-flowing rivers.
• Gharials are not man-eaters because:
  • Their jaws are too narrow and weak to attack large mammals.
  • They are physically incapable of devouring humans.
• Habitat: They are found only in deep, clear and fast-flowing rivers and rivers with sandy banks 

• Female gharials lay eggs on steep sandy riverbanks during the breeding season.

• Distribution: They were earlier found across the river systems of: Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi-Brahmani-Baitrani basins.

• They were historically distributed across: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Pakistan.

• However, at present major surviving populations are found in:
  • Chambal River, Girwa River, Rapti-Naryani River in Nepal.
• Smaller populations survive in: Ken River, Yamuna River, Brahmaputra River, Ghaghara River, Bhagirathi-Hooghly River.
• Conservation Status
  • International Union for Conservation of Nature: Critically Endangered.
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I species
• Major Threats: River pollution, Sand mining, Dam construction, Loss of nesting habitats, Fishing net entanglement, Overfishing, Egg collection and poaching.

Conservation Efforts

• Project Crocodile was launched in 1975 with support from:
  • United Nations Development Programme.
  • Food and Agriculture Organization.
• Important gharial reserves are located in:
  • Uttar Pradesh.
  • Madhya Pradesh.
  • Rajasthan.
• A Gharial Bio-logging Project has also been launched in collaboration with:
  • World Wide Fund for Nature-India.
  • University of Tokyo, Japan.
• The project studies underwater behaviour and habitat use of free-ranging gharials.

Exam Hook – Prelims Question

With reference to the Gharial, consider the following statements:

1. It is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
2. It is primarily a fish-eating crocodilian species.
3. It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3 only

Answer: (c)

One Line Wrap

• The rare sighting of the gharial in Kaziranga highlights the success of Assam’s riverine wildlife conservation efforts and the ecological richness of the Brahmaputra landscape.

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