Once abundant and common, with a historic range covering 20,000 sq. km. from the Indus to the Irrawaddy, the gharial had an estimated population of 5,000 to 10,000 in the 1940s. The gharial Gavialis gangeticus, a species endemic to the Indian subcontinent, is a freshwater, riverine species adapted to an aquatic lifestyle in deep, fast flowing rivers. It uses sandbanks to bask and nest. This distinctive crocodilian has a long, tubular snout that allows it to catch fish easily. One of the largest of living crocodilians, males are known to measure more than six metres in length.
The future of the gharial seemed bleak in 1976 as well, when the total population of wild gharial was estimated at less than 200. However, with full protection granted and hunting banned, this was slowly reversed. Nine Protected Areas were reserved for the gharial. The presence of dacoits and anti-social elements inadvertently protected the Chambal River, the gharial's main stronghold. Captive breeding was undertaken - hatchlings from eggs were collected from the wild, raised in captivity and released into the wild upon reaching the age of three. This was done to reduce mortality from natural predators. In 1997, the population in India rose to around 1,500 animals in the tributaries of the Ganges and the Mahanadi. Though the species was considered to be on the verge of extinction in Bhutan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, conservationists were positive about the recoveries in India and Nepal.
Shockingly, the latest census figures show that the gharial population has declined dramatically in the last decade. From an estimated 342 adult gharial in 1997, the animal is down to 182 in 2006, a 47 per cent drop. This drastic decline has happened over a period of nine years, well within the span of one generation, qualifying the gharial, under criterion C1, to be listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red Data Book.
In the early years after Independence, the population decline was attributed to overhunting for skin and trophies, collection of eggs, killing for traditional medicine and by fishermen. The main reason for the current decline is the degradation of fresh water streams. Hydroelectric projects and dams, construction of canals and barrages, increased siltation, sand mining, diverting water for irrigation, and so on, have all taken a toll. This has also led to a decline in fish that form a bulk of the gharial's diet. If the ambitious and foolish river-linking project goes ahead, then the gharial's fate will be sealed, along with that of river dolphins, otters, migratory fish and turtles.
Are captive rearing and release the answer? It is clear that reintroducing the animals without ensuring the safety of the habitat will not guarantee healthy populations. In Chitwan, 457 gharial were released. In 1977, there were 16 nests and in 2006, there are six. In Katerniaghat Sanctuary, 909 gharial were released and just 20 nests were recorded in 2006 (though this is an increase from the four nests in 1977). In the Chambal River, (which has 40 per cent of the total gharial population) 3,552 gharial were released, but just 68 nests were recorded in 2006 (12 nests in 1978). Overall, the retention of reintroduced gharial over the last 30 years is as low as 0.02 per cent in the Mahanadi River in Orissa to an average of three to 10 per cent elsewhere. The four places where the gharial is breeding today had residual populations when the restocking programmes began. It is clear that restocking has not helped create a viable gharial population.
Unless natural habitats such as forests, grasslands, mountains, rivers, lakes and seas are protected, wild denizens will not survive. Extinction is real. If we are to save the gharial, we need to act now. This strange and wonderful reptile, which is big, yet harmless, depends on healthy rivers. How can we forget that we too depend on healthy rivers?
Spend a few minutes and write a polite letter to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of Utter Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and to the MoEF and IGF (WL) asking them to protect the species and its river home.
