Chitwan: A total of 205 gharial crocodiles reared at Chitwan National Park have been released into the Rapti River in the current fiscal year, an increase from 133 released last year.
The Crocodile Breeding Centre Kasara, established in 1978, has been playing a key role in the conservation of gharials. Since 1981, the centre has reintroduced a total of 2,280 crocodiles into various rivers across Nepal.
According to Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar, the reintroduced crocodiles include 1,525 in the Rapti River, 421 in the Narayani River, and smaller numbers in the Kaligandaki, Saptakoshi, and Karnali rivers, as well as in the Babai, Chaudhar, and West Rapti rivers.
Currently, 598 gharials are being reared at the Kasara centre. Eggs are collected from the banks of the Rapti River and hatched at the facility before being released into the wild.
Officials say many of the released gharials drift downstream into India, while others fall prey to poaching. Increasing river pollution has also emerged as a major threat to their survival.
(RSS)
