Gharial Hatchlings Thrive in Chambal River

• 25 Jun 2025

Why in News?

The National Chambal Sanctuary has seen 1,186 gharial hatchlings born in the Etawah range and 840 in the Bah range, and now they are all frolicking in the Chambal River.

• Gharial eggs incubate for 50 to 60 days, with hatchlings emerging in early June and the hatching phase lasting about a month.

Key Points

Gharials:

• About: The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is distinct from other crocodilians due to its long snout.
  • Crocodiles are the largest surviving reptiles, primarily inhabiting freshwater swamps, lakes, and rivers, with one saltwater species.  
    • They are nocturnal and poikilothermic (also known as ectotherms or cold-blooded animals, are characterized by their body temperature fluctuating with the surrounding environment). 
• Distribution: According to the Wildlife Institute of India, gharials were widely distributed in the Brahmaputra, Ganga, Indus, and the Mahanadi-Brahmani-Baitarani river systems of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. 
  • Currently, their major populations occur in three tributaries of the Ganga (the Chambal and Girwa in India, and the Rapti-Narayani river in Nepal).
  • Odisha is the only Indian state to host wild populations of all three native crocodilian species (Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), and Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)).
• Population: India hosts nearly 80% of the global wild gharial population, with around 3,000 individuals across sites like National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarnia Ghat, and Son Gharial Sanctuary.  
• Crocodile Conservation Project: India launched its CCP at Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park with support from the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. 
  • It adopted the “rear and release” method, created protected habitats like Bhitarkanika and Satkosia Tiger Reserve, and promoted captive breeding and community awareness, making it a national model for crocodilian conservation. 
  • On World Crocodile Day (17th June), India commemorates 50 years of its Crocodile Conservation Project (CCP) (1975–2025).

National Chambal Sanctuary

• It was set up in 1979 as a riverine sanctuary along an approximately 425 km length of the Chambal River.
• Its ravines stretch over 2-6 km wide along the Chambal River near the tri-point of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The National Chambal Sanctuary is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and is a proposed Ramsar site.