Gharial is a fresh water relative of the Crocodilian family. It is believed to have evolved in the plains of rivers of northern India.
Commonly called the fish eating crocodile, the Gharial was once found in abundance in the Indian rivers. Specially in the Ganges and Brahmaputra, which were very rich in biodiversity. Fish being their primary food, they have a distinct shape in their mouth to catch them. And this is what gives them the name. It was not seen in the region for a very long time.
In a video released by the Kaziranga National Park authorities, a gharial can be clearly spotted basking in the sand banks somewhere in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. It was shot from a boat by the forest guards of the park.
With rapid industrialization, the natural habitat of these endangered creatures are all but lost. Sand mining interferes with their natural habitats. Uncontrolled fishing has also interfered with their food chain. Also these has been uncontrolled hunting of these endangered species for sport as well as blind beliefs and traditions.
This news was contributed to Discover East by Nilutpal Mahanta. He is an wildlife enthusiast and currently works as a professor in the Assam Don Bosco University.
