PATNA: As many as 125 critically endangered alligator (gharial) hatchlings were released into the river Gandak near Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve of Bagaha in West Champaran district of Bihar on Saturday. The conservation task was possible due to the combined efforts of Bihar Environment and forest department, Wildlife Trust of India and Los Angeles Zoo.Around nine gharial nests were found earlier this year on the banks of river Gandak.
Eight hatcheries were found on the Bihar side of the Gandak river and one was spotted in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district. Farmers, fishermen and local people came forward for the preservation of alligators’ eggs. Altogether 125 gharial hatchings were born. It was a record of sorts. These alligator hatchlings were released into the River Gandak safely. Subrat K Behera, Project Head, Gandak Gharial Recovery Project, Wildlife Trust of India, “Villagers gave their overwhelming support to us in protecting the eggs from flood and erosion of embankments and also wild animals.”
When a survey of alligators in India was conducted in 2016, nearly a dozen were found in Gandak river but their number has jumped to 500 now. After Chambal river, the highest number of gharials are present in Gandak river. The Gandak river was identified as a nesting habitat of the critically endangered gharials for the first time in 2016. Since 2018, gharial nesting has become a permanent feature in the river in every nesting year and the river has become an important gharial population with breeding records. In 2020, 259 gharials were found as their number was 236 in 2021,” said Bahera.
With rise in number of gharials, Gandak river has now become the second home for the species after Chambal river.“Gandak has become the second largest river having a gharial population after Chambal,” he added. In June last year, 148 gharials were released in the Gandak. The number of species in the river has gone up manifold in recent years due to joint efforts of Wildlife Trust of India and environment department.