From article: “Lahore, 18 May 2023: Following recent reports of sightings of the critically endangered Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) reported on social media, WWF-Pakistan’s wildlife team promptly visited the area in Punjab, Pakistan, to investigate further. The subsequent survey confirmed the presence of Gharials in the region, including the exciting observation of juvenile individuals after a presumed absence of three decades.”
My words: This one nearly made me cry when I heard the news.
The subcontinent is weird geographically (thank you Brits). The randomly drawn border and the way both countries treat the areas have affected migration patterns amongst other issues.
The Gharials (among the longest of all living crocodilians) went extinct long ago, 3 decades I believe, due to dams and overfishing leading to too much competition for their food. Were also killed by a lot of people out of fear (and for the leather).
Ironically this particular gharial returned due to floods in India leading it this way. Its still there in the Ganges.
Would not have survived if it was a populated area, but due to border tensions the area was closed off.
They have since reproduced in Pakistan as well.
The conservation plan encompasses onsite monitoring in collaboration with security authorities. The main emphasis will be on executing efficient conservation measures and safeguarding the Gharials’ habitat. This involves ensuring appropriate water quantity and quality, as well as managing ongoing fishing activities to protect their habitat effectively. (Wikipedia)
Yet with India closing off Pakistans water supply, despite the Indus valley treaty before the war started the water levels are an issue rn.
Pakistan has formally requested the transfer of hundreds of Gharial crocodiles from Nepal as part of an initiative to reintroduce this species. (Wikipedia)
Globally they are critically endangered.
The gharial probably evolved in the northern Indian subcontinent. Fossil gharial remains were excavated in Pliocene deposits in the Sivalik Hills and the Narmada River valley. It currently inhabits rivers in the plains of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. It is the most thoroughly aquatic crocodilian, and leaves the water only for basking and building nests on moist sandbanks. Adults mate at the end of the cold season. Females congregate in spring to dig nests, in which they lay 20–95 eggs. They guard the nests and the young, which hatch before the onset of the monsoon. The hatchlings stay and forage in shallow water during their first year, but move to sites with deeper water as they grow.
The wild gharial population has declined drastically since the 1930s and is limited to only 2% of its historical range today. Conservation programmes initiated in India and Nepal focused on reintroducing captive-bred gharials since the early 1980s. Loss of habitat because of sand mining and conversion to agriculture, depletion of fish resources and detrimental fishing methods continue to threaten the population. It has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2007.
The oldest known depictions of the gharial are about 4,000 years old and were found in the Indus Valley. Hindus regard it as the vehicle of the river deity Gaṅgā. Local people living near rivers attributed mystical and healing powers to the gharial, and used some of its body parts as ingredients of indigenous medicine
these things are HUGE
Massive. With a funny snout too
