World Crocodile Day: Numbers Of Critically Endangered Gharials In Chambal River Are Rising
June 17 is celebrated as World Crocodile day or World Croc day. It is a global awareness campaign to highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world.
June 17 is celebrated as World Crocodile day or World Croc day. It is a global awareness campaign to highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world.
Gharials are enlisted as critically endangered species. National Chambal Sanctuary--also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary--is a protected area in northern India meant for the protection of the critically endangered gharial along with other species. It is located on the Chambal River near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Here, the number of gharials are on the rise.
It's #WorldCrocodileDay, and a good occasion to share these photographs of the critically endangered gharial. The male has a "ghara", a nasal protuberance, at the end of his snout. He is a devoted father and will guard all hatchlings on his bank, regardless of paternity. #Chambal pic.twitter.com/7RdqPAxKHT
¡ª Aditya Panda (@AdityaPanda) June 17, 2020
Read: Jaguar Pounces Into River To Kill Crocodile.
According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, after a long time a good number of gharial babies were born near Chambal river. Chambal Sanctuary officials are reportedly satisfied with the number of babies born this year. Their increasing numbers in Chambal lake are a positive sign.
According to the report, DFO (Divisional Forest Officer) Furkaan Ali said that the number of gharial babies born this year in Chambal will add to the overall growth of the reptiles.
Dainik Bhaskar
Gharial hatchlings have come out of their eggs in Shankarpura, Andvapuraini, Harigir among other places in Dholpur range and can be found on the coast. April to June is the mating time for Gharials. A female Gharial lays 40-70 eggs near the coast in May-June.
The birth of 116 gharials on Gandak river, on World Crocodile Day, has also been reported.
To mark the occasion, IFS Parveen Kaswan re-shared an image clicked by Dhritiman Mukherjee that shows one ¡®papa¡¯ gharial carrying his babies across the Chambal river.
Most attentive #father in the town !! Picture captured by Dhritiman Mukherjee where a #Gharial taking kids across the #chambal river. Conservation efforts are helping this species to bounce back. When we talk about rivers, we are also talking for their future. #WorldCrocodileDay pic.twitter.com/NJpWDhZ8fY
¡ª Parveen Kaswan (@ParveenKaswan) June 17, 2020
Even though the image shared by IFS Parveen Kaswan is old, it marks a moment of celebration when it comes to the population of this critically endangered species.
Read: 50 Crocodiles Rescued From Flash Floods In Gujarat.
