An endangered apex predator returns to the Ganga River

The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department (UPFD) and WWF-India surveyed a 100-mile stretch of the Ganga in December 2008 to identify viable habitats for gharial reintroduction, with the aim of reestablishing breeding populations. They considered factors such as the presence of prey, availability of sites for basking and nesting, and river depth.

Since then, 818 juvenile gharials (about 4-5 ft. long) have been released into the river. They can grow to be over 16 ft. long and weigh 350–550 lb. As the top predator in the food chain, gharials are indicators of a healthy river, according to Suresh Babu, director of rivers, wetlands, and water policy at WWF-India.

UPFD and WWF-India staff periodically recapture gharials to assess their health and growth rate, which indicate how well the animals are adjusting to the environment. Experts also measure water quality and monitor the movement and behavior of released gharials.

WWF-India works closely with local stakeholders to conserve rivers and aquatic species. More than 4,000 self-motivated individuals, known as mitras or “friends of the river,” volunteer their time, knowledge, and, notes Babu, their “willingness to be the voice of these species and of the river.”