Adult Gharial spotted in Ganga at Mirzapur

 

#Breaking An adult Gharial spotted today in Mirzapur (U.P.) stretch of River Ganga somewhere between Shastri Pul & Vindhyachal.
Video source- local journalists.@rameshpandeyifs @wti_org_india @SanctuaryAsia @UpforestUp @MadrasCrocBank @journomayank @Indian_Rivers @yamunajiye pic.twitter.com/EvL6SaPYhK

— Vindhyan Ecology & Natural History Foundation (@vindhyabachao) February 29, 2020

 

Common Name: Gharial, Fish-eating Crocodile, Indian Gavial, Indian Gharial, Long-nosed Crocodile
Scientific Name: Gavialis gangeticus; Synonym: Lacerta gangetica

 

Length: 3-6 meter (Male), 2.5-4 meter (Female)
Weight: 150-250 Kg
Number of Mature Individuals: 300-900, 650 (IUCN, 30 December 2017)

Status: Listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and as Critically Endangered on IUCN Red List

 

Gharial has been a native species of Bangladesh, India, Nepal where it is still resident and has become extinct from Bhutan, Myanmar and Pakistan. In India, the gharial population is found within the tributaries of the Ganges river system. The population of Gharial is severely fragmented and is at high risk from various anthropogenic activities.
Gharial has long thin jaws to catch fish. Gharial has got its name because of a large, bulbous growth, known as a ‘ghara’, on the tip of male's snout.

 

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#Breaking: Critically endangered Gangetic Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) spotted in River Ganga in Mirzapur! An adult Gharial can be seen basking in sunlight when some people tried to approach it using their boat somewhere between Vindhyachal and Shastri pul in Mirzapur. The forest department is aware of the development and a team was sent there after this video surfaced on local whatsapp groups. #Ganga #Biodiversity #Mirzapur #Wildlife #Gharial #reptilesofinstagram #aquaticlife #iucn #bbcearth

A post shared by Vindhya Bachao (VENHF) (@vindhyabachao) on Feb 29, 2020 at 3:38am PST

Source:
 https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/8966/149227430
 https://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/priority_species/threatened_species/gharial/