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Conservation |
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| Conservation History |
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History of Gharial Conservation Efforts |
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Despite best intentions and initial successes ultimately
past conservation efforts failed to secure gharial
populations. Several factors contributed to this
failure.
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Gharial habitat has not been
secured. |
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Enforcement of protected
status has been insufficient. |
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Wild restocking efforts were
not followed up with consistent population
surveys to monitor the survival of released
gharials and the state of gharial populations.
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Timeline of Past Conservation Efforts and Gharial
Populations
1940’s An estimated 5,000-10,000 gharials roamed
from the Indus River inpresent-day Pakistan 3,000 km
eastward across the Gangetic plain to the Irrawady River
in Myanmar
1970 S. Biswas reports gharials vanished from
Kosi River, recommnded further surveys
1973 Team from Madras Snake Park carry out
extensive surveys of rivers, find only 200
1975 Project Crocodile set up with Indian Gov’t
and United Nations Development Program Food and
Agriculture Organization (UNDP-FAO)
240 kms of habitat set aside in 6 gharial sanctuaries
16 rearing centers set up for “head-starting” program
Crocodile biologist training center set up in Hyderbad
(late became Wildlife Institute of India
1975-1992 5,000 head-started gharial released
1992 Ministry of Environment and Forests of India
calls a halt to captive rearing of gharials and
withdraws funds
1992-1999 Dedicated gharial conservationists try
to carry out surveys when possible along with their own
work, but no systematic surveys carried out by Forest
Departments
Mid 1990’s bandits that kept most people out of
Chambal river are apprehended, region comes under
control of resource exploiting “mafias”
1996 Project Crocodile declared a success and
money withdrawn
1999-2003 No gharial surveys conducted
2004 Crocodile researcherDr. R.K. Sharma reports
gharial numbers in wild have plummeted
Gharial Multi-Task Force created by concerned
conservationists
2006 Survey indicates less than 200 mature
breeding adults left
in the wild
Application made by GMTF to the IUCN to change gharial
status from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered” in
the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
2007 The gharial is officially listed as
“Critically Endangered” in 2007 IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species
Surveys to date indicate around 200-250 mature breeding adult gharials
in the wild, spread across fragmented habitats
The Gharial Multi-Task Force changes its name to Gharial
Conservation Alliance |
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