Chitwan, February 14
Fifty-two gharials that were brought up at the Gharial Breeding Centre at Kasara in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) have been recently released into various rivers across the country.
Of them, 12 have been released into the Rapti river and 20 each into the Koshi and Narayani rivers, according to Saroj Mani Poudel, the assistant conservation officer of the Chitwan National Park.
Additional 30 gharials will be released into the Rapti river soon, he says.
So far, 1,657 gharials have been released into various rivers (867 into Rapti, 419 into Narayani, 110 into Babai, 115 into Saptakoshi, 41 into Karnali and 35 into Kaligandaki), he says.
The official says 258 hatchlings have been hatched in seven habitats in the Rapti and Narayani rivers.
At present, 450 gharials including 13 adult ones and only one male gharial have remained at the centre.
Meanwhile, the CNP Chief Conservation Officer Hari Bhadra Acharya has sought the support of all to protect the species.
