PATNA: At least 148 baby gharials (fish-eating crocodiles), hatched in a protected area along the Gandak in Bagaha, were released into the river by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) with the support of villagers and local fishermen on Saturday.
The Gandak river, which flows into Bihar from Nepal, has proved to be a haven for critically endangered reptiles. With the new hatchlings, the population of gharials in the river has gone up to 390.
According to a WTI official, the birth of gharials marks the culmination of the annual breeding and nesting season of these reptiles. “This year, eggs were found at five places from Valmikinagar to Ratwal bridge on the banks of the Gandak,” he added.
More than hundreds of eggs of gharials have been preserved by the WTI and the environment, forest and climate change department in Bihar since 2015.
