Bhubaneswar, June 17 -- The conservation and recovery of the critically endangered Gharial crocodile at Nandankanan Zoological Park has emerged as a major wildlife success story, with sustained efforts leading to encouraging results both in captivity and in the wild.
To strengthen the ongoing gharial reintroduction initiative, Nandankanan launched the "Species Recovery of Gharial in River Mahanadi" project in 2019. The programme focuses on habitat assessment, stakeholder participation, post-release monitoring and public awareness to restore a viable gharial population in the river system.
Since the launch of the initiative, 32 GPS/VHF-tagged gharials - including 12 males and 20 females - have been released into the River Mahanadi under a ...