GS TIMES STAFF
In Odisha, after wait of 45 years, the first natural nesting of gharials ((Gavialis gangeticus)) has been reported. As many as 28 hatchlings were spotted in the Satkosia range of Mahanadi river in May 2021.
- Gharials were breeding in Mahanadi river and had remained undetected after they moved out of Satkosia during the late 1970s.
- The journey for conservation of Indian gharial started in 1975 at Gharial Research and Conservation Unit at Tikarpada, and adjoining Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary along the Mahanadi river in Odisha.
- Now once again, they have returned to Satkosia range after bamboo rafting was stopped, fishing was strictly regulated, and the Covid-induced lockdown brought order and created a serene habitat for gharials.
- With this, Odisha has become the only state to have all the three species of the reptile —freshwater gharials, muggers, and saltwater crocodiles.
- Distinguishable by their long snout, the gharials are considered to be among the most critically endangered crocodiles.
- About 200-400 remaining gharials are found in the rivers of Uttar Pradesh as their habitat is threatened due to human encroachment and disruption of population through fishing activities.
- According to the Wildlife Institute of India, today, their major population occur in three tributaries of the Ganga River: the Chambal and the Girwa Rivers in India and the Rapti-Naryani River in Nepal.
