CUTTACK: Officials of Badamba range under Athagarh forest division on Tuesday rescued a gharial hatchling from Gopinathpur village and handed it over to Nandankanan Zoological Park.The hatchling, aged around one year, is 90.5 cm long and weighs 1,100 gram. It was caught in the net of a local fisherman in Mahanadi river, said Athagarh DFO Sudarsan Yadav.
Consulting scientist for the gharial recovery project Prof Sudarshan Maharana said the rescued hatchling belongs to the clutch of 2021.“This is the second hatchling to be rescued from Mahanadi river within one month. Earlier, one such hatchling was rescued from Bangerisinga village under Badamba Range on August 4, 2022. The hatchling which was also estimated to be more than one-year-old was handed over to Nandankanan Zoological Park for further care and study,” he said.
The scientist said it is heartening that gharial hatchlings were sighted in the Satkosia gorge last year. “This has also renewed hope that the critically endangered species will recapture its natural habitat in Mahanadi river,” he said.