New natural habitat of endangered gharial spotted

The team of wildlife experts from Karterniaghat Foundation and National Coordinator for Gharial Conservation Alliance, Dhruv Jyoti Basu, were on survey of Gandak river in Sohagi Barwa Sanctuary of Maharajganj district when they spotted two females and one large male gharial which are considered as "breeding population".

Another survey of the area will be undertaken in March which is an egg-laying season of the reptiles.

"This is a rare opportunity to spot the population of gharials, capable of breeding, outside their known habitats in Chambal and Girwa river," Vice-President of Karterniaghat Foundation, Suresh Chaudhari said

Basu supplemented him saying, "It is a big boost for conservation efforts for gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) which has been declared as 'critically endangered' by the International Union For Conservation of Nature."

Earlier, the team had also found a group of six gharials and about 25 newborns during a 80-km survey of Ghagra river in Barabanki and Sitapur districts, about 90 km from Lucknow.

Chaudhari said the fact that 25 newborns were spotted in Girwa-Ghagra river is a good sign especially after the Chambal disaster, where more than 100 of them died due to a poisonous chemical leak near Etawah within a small period two years ago.

"The spotting of the species in its natural habitat is extremely crucial for the conservation effort as only 200 adults, capable of breeding, are left," Basu said.

According to estimates, there are about 1,000 gharials in the country in the wild, of which 200 are mature breeding population while the rest are immature or non-breeding adults.
"The situation is worse than in 1975 when the Gharial Project was started to save them. That time, there were 300 in the wild. Katerniaghat sanctuary itself produces about 600 hatchlings every year but none survives in the floods," Chaudhari, who is also a noted wildlife photographer, said.

Gharials are listed under Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which bans the trade of any gharial products or its body parts.

One of the largest species of crocodile, the population of gharials is now found in only three tributaries of the Ganges in India -- Girwa, Son, and Chambal rivers, according to World Wildlife Fund, India.

"They are ten times more endangered than tiger. And extinction of a ancient wild species will seriously effect the eco-system of these rivers," Basu said.

According to experts, apathy of state government is one of the reasons for the dwindling population of gharials which are only found in Uttar Pradesh in the country.
The state government is running a hatching centre in Kukrail, Lucknow, but lack of funds has forced to stop its operations, a senior forest department official said on condition of anonymity.

"In Kukrail, there is no money to even feed hatchlings. So they don't collect eggs or hatchlings from Chambal or Girwa rivers. If the department does not start the breeding at the centre, soon gharial will become extinct," the official said.

Basu said the Central government must take serious note of the situation in Uttar Pradesh to save gharial and provide funds for the Kukrail centre.

"New sites or habitats in the river of Uttar Prdesh must be selected for release of hatchlings, as last year few gharials were released in river Ganga in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Meerut district by the state forest department," he said.