BHUBANESWAR: With the first phase of gharial conservation efforts in Mahanadi river system yielding significant results, the Forest department is set to launch the second phase of the project in December this year.
The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP), which is implementing the ‘Species recovery of gharials in river Mahanadi’ project, has planned to release 16 captive-bred adult gharials - five males and 11 females - in their natural habitat in different batches.
The gharials will be released in Mahanadi with double-transmitter tagging for effective post-release tracking and other research activities.
Zoo deputy director Sanath Kumar N said the focus would be on conducting a genetic study to better understand the gharial population in Mahanadi. “Along with reviving the gharial population, we are also striving to ensure that genetic diversity of the reptiles is maintained in the river to check inbreeding and improve their ability to survive and reproduce,” he said.
A researcher from the zoo said gharials brought from Jaipur zoo and Lucknow zoo along with those bred in Nandankanan had been released in Mahanadi in the first phase. A total 19 gharials - seven males and 12 females - tagged with radio and satellite transmitters, were reintroduced into the river between 2019 and 2022.
The major success in the project came in May 2021 when around 28 gharial hatchlings were found in a nest in Baladamara area of the river within Satkosia gorge sanctuary after a gap of nearly four decades. Another 30 took birth at the same site in 2022 and 35 in 2023. Around 35 more gharials also took birth in Satkosia gorge in May this year, making it the fourth successful natural breeding of the endangered species in the river system.
Keeping in view the release of the gharials in phase II, the Nandankanan authorities have started reaching out to the forest divisions in 14 districts on both sides of Mahanadi river to raise awareness and engage local communities through initiatives like Kumbhira Bandhus in the conservation programme. In a bid to ensure, local participation, compensation is being provided for damaged fishing nets by gharials and also rewards for returning live gharials caught in the net.