Kasara: A total of 103 crocodiles raised at the Gharial (Crocodile) Breeding Centre in Kasara of Chitwan have been released in the Rapti River at different times since mid-July, 2024. Of them, one is male and the remaining are females.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Chitwan National Park (CNP) information officer Abinash Thapa Magar stated that the reptiles released in the river were hatched in 2020. Last fiscal year, the CNP had released 105 crocodiles in the river. The eggs of crocodiles are collected from the riverbank to hatch them in artificial conditions at the Centre, and once grown, the reptiles are released back into the river.
Since its establishment in 1978, the Centre has released a total of 2,060 crocodiles into various rivers across the country, including the Rapti and Narayani rivers. However, the survival rate of these animals remains very low. During last year’s survey, 152 crocodiles were recorded in the Rapti and 113 in the Narayani. Currently, the Centre houses 697 crocodiles.
The Gharial is an endangered reptile, with its existence now largely confined to Nepal and India. Historically, it was also found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. In 1940, the global population of Gharials was around 10,000, but by 1970, it had drastically reduced to just two percent of that number. At the time of the Centre’s establishment, fewer than 100 Gharials were estimated to exist in Nepal.
Factors such as increasing human encroachment on rivers, extraction of river-based products, and fishing have adversely affected the natural habitats of these animals. Additionally, during floods, Gharials can be swept away beyond the Nepal-India border.