Chandigarh, Oct. 28 -- Nearly three months after being rescued from Rajasthan's Indira Gandhi Canal network, an adult gharial has been released into Punjab's Beas River Conservation Reserve. This is a key development in efforts to conserve the critically endangered crocodilian species, officials said. The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) was released on October 24 after officials kept it at Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, Chhatbir, for nearly three months. It underwent veterinary assessment and rehabilitation there before being deemed ready for release. On July 30, officials rescued an adult gharial measuring more than 12 feet in length from the Indira Gandhi Canal after nearly five months of coordinated monitoring. The rehabilitation involved coordination between the forest departments of Punjab and Rajasthan. According to officials, the semi-aquatic reptile's journey from the Harike Wetland landscape to western Rajasthan also underscores the need for timely reporting of wildlife sightings and scientifically guided rescue and rehabilitation protocols. The release builds on Punjab's ongoing gharial conservation programme in the Beas River Conservation Reserve, where the department of forests and wildlife preservation, with technical support from WWF-India, has been undertaking reintroduction and systematic monitoring of the species. Between December 2017 and December 2021, 94 juvenile gharials were released into the Beas in five batches. Subsequent monitoring documented the species at several locations along the river. A joint survey conducted by the Punjab forest department and WWF-India in March and April 2025 recorded 37 gharials across 22 locations along the Beas, providing an important baseline for assessing the species' distribution and status in the river system....