The Chitwan National Park Wildlife Office has released a rare crocodile into the Rapti River in observance of Bharatpur Visit Year 2024. Twenty crocodiles were unleashed in front of foreign tourists in the vicinity of Kasara, the Chitwan National Park headquarters.
The released crocodile belongs to a distinct family of reptiles and is called the Gharial Crocodile. This species of crocodile is found in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Pakistan.
Along with the Koshi River, the rivers in Nepal’s districts of Bardia and Chitwan are home to the majority of these crocodiles. Between 300 and 900 of these crocodiles are believed to still exist in the globe.
There are roughly 198 of them in Nepal alone. The lifespan of a gharial crocodile is 40–50 years. Their bodies are somewhat dark, and they have a distinctive characteristic—the males grow a bulbous protuberance on their snouts that resembles an earthen pot, hence the name “gharial.”
While female gharials typically grow to be 4 to 5 meters long, males can reach up to 8 meters in length. They are between 159 and 181 kg in weight. Gharials mostly consume fresh fish, and their eggs take 60 to 80 days to hatch.
Unfortunately, habitat loss, water pollution, and egg poaching have put gharial crocodiles at grave risk of extinction. Because of their extreme vulnerability, they are protected by legislation in Nepal. They are prohibited from being harmed or traded because of the market value of their skin.
The goal of releasing the crocodiles is to save and maintain this threatened species.
