The Gharial is perhaps the most evolutionarily unique crocodilian alive. Several things make it extraordinary: (1) Its snout is unlike any other living crocodilian — extraordinarily long and narrow, designed exclusively for catching fish. It cannot bite hard enough to kill large prey. (2) The “ghara” knob — only adult males develop this bulbous fleshy knob on the snout tip. No other crocodilian has this. It is used for visual display during mating and to produce sounds and bubbles underwater. (3) Most aquatic of all crocodilians — unlike muggers and saltwater crocs that regularly walk overland, adult gharials almost never leave water (except to bask and nest on sandbanks). Their legs are too weak to walk properly on land. (4) Clean river indicator — their presence in a river signals clean, unpolluted water with good fish stocks. Their absence signals river degradation. (5) Part of a separate family — Gharials belong to the family Gavialidae, a completely separate evolutionary lineage from true crocodiles (Crocodylidae). They diverged from crocodiles ~65 million years ago — at the time of dinosaur extinction.

The Saltwater Crocodile is listed as Least Concern (LC) globally because the overall global population (across Australia, Southeast Asia, Pacific islands, and South Asia) is large and stable — estimated at 300,000+ individuals worldwide. Australia alone has massive populations. However, in India specifically, the saltwater crocodile was nearly extinct by the 1970s — down to fewer than 100. India’s Crocodile Conservation Project (1975) was essential to prevent local extinction. Despite global LC status, India keeps it under WPA Schedule I (highest protection) — because local/regional conservation needs can differ from global status. Similarly, CITES lists it under Appendix II (not Appendix I) because while global trade needs monitoring, the species isn’t facing global extinction threat. The lesson: species can be LC globally while still needing protection regionally. India’s decision to maintain full protection is prudent — populations could collapse quickly without it (as nearly happened in the 1970s).

The head-start or rear-and-release method is the primary conservation tool of India’s Crocodile Conservation Project. Here’s how it works: (1) Egg collection: Scientists carefully collect eggs from wild crocodilian nests (with permission and minimal disturbance). This is done because natural nest success is very low — many eggs are lost to flooding, predation, temperature changes. (2) Artificial incubation: Eggs are incubated in controlled conditions at conservation centres — temperature, humidity, and turning are managed to maximise hatching success. (3) Captive rearing: Hatchlings are reared in captivity for 1–3 years. During this time they grow from ~30 cm (at hatching) to 1+ metres. This “head start” dramatically improves survival — wild hatchlings face 90%+ mortality from predation (birds, fish, other crocodiles). Captive-reared juveniles have a much better chance. (4) Release: Juveniles are released into protected rivers and water bodies. Rings may be removed or numbers inscribed on scutes for monitoring. Over 7,000 crocodiles were restocked using this method — 4,000 gharials, 1,800 muggers, 1,500 saltwater crocs — turning the 1970s crisis into a 50-year conservation success.

The Chambal River (through MP, UP, and Rajasthan) is the world’s last stronghold for gharials — with the largest remaining wild population. Several features make Chambal exceptional: (1) Relatively unpolluted: Chambal is one of India’s least polluted major rivers — it lacks large industrial cities on its banks and has fewer dams than most rivers. Gharials need clean water with good fish populations. (2) Protected status: The National Chambal Sanctuary protects 425+ km of the river — a rare continuous stretch of protected river habitat. (3) Sandy beaches: Gharials need sandy riverbanks for nesting and basking. Chambal still has intact sandy beaches unlike heavily mined rivers like Ganga and Yamuna. (4) Symbiotic species: Chambal is also home to Gangetic Dolphins (also critically linked to river health), Red-crowned Roofed Turtles, and Indian Skimmers — making it a biodiversity hotspot for riverine species. (5) Gharial numbers: The WTI recorded 1,255 gharials in Chambal alone. The Gandak river (Bihar) also supports a smaller but growing population. Outside India, Nepal’s Chitwan and Bardia NPs have small populations.