IUCN's First Gharial Green Status Assessment | 10 Oct 2025

Why in News? 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has conducted its first-ever 'Green Status' assessment of the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus). 

• The species has been classified as "Critically Depleted" due to ongoing threats despite years of conservation efforts. 

Key Findings 

• Current Population and Habitat: The Chambal River (spanning 500 km across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan) remains the last stronghold of the gharial, housing several thousand individuals. 
  • The Chambal Sanctuary (established in 1979) is the only site with a viable gharial breeding population in the wild. This sanctuary also protects other endangered species like the Ganges River dolphin and the red-crowned roof turtle. 
  • Other populations exist only in small, isolated pockets across northern India and Nepal. 
  • The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India report reveals that only 0.5% of young gharials survive to adulthood, underscoring the critical need for protection of nesting habitats to aid in their recovery. 
• Historical Range and Decline: Once abundant across major river systems such as the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Indus, and Irrawaddy, gharials faced rapid habitat destruction due to Large-scale sand mining, hunting for skins, Egg collection, Construction of dams and barrages. 
  • By the 1970s, the species had disappeared from nearly 98% of its historic range. 
  • The current estimate is around 681 adult gharials remaining in the wild, with 80% residing in the Chambal River. 
• IUCN 'Green Status' vs. Red List: The IUCN Green Status differs from the traditional Red List by assessing progress toward full ecological recovery rather than just extinction risk.