Not many notice them at first. Long snouts glinting in the sun, barely a ripple as they slip into the Chambal. But this year, the river has something to say.
The National Chambal Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh has recorded 2,026 gharials in 2025 — the highest number since conservation began here in 1975.
Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus), once common in Indian rivers, are now critically endangered. Chambal is one of their last strongholds.
Each winter, they bask on the sandbanks. That’s when forest staff count them. “Some stay in water, so the actual number may be even higher,” Wildlife Warden KC Shekhar told TOI.
This year’s jump — from 1,880 in 2024 to 2,026 — is the steepest rise since 1975. “Usually, the change is eight to 10. This jump of 146 is remarkable,” Shekhar added.
In 1975, when conservation began, there were only 200 gharials. Fifty years on, their numbers have crossed 2,000 — a number that holds a mirror to decades of patient work.
Muggers, another native crocodile species with broader snouts and a varied diet, are thriving too — 869 were counted this year, up from 742 in 2024, DFO Chandni Singh shared with TOI.
The path here wasn’t easy. In 2008, 112 gharials perished. But rangers, scientists, and local communities kept at it — protecting nests, studying patterns, and never losing hope.
Breeding sites are now closely watched. Staff protect the nests, monitor the eggs, and educate villagers living along the river to support the gharials’ return.
Monitoring stations dot the riverbanks. Forest teams document movements, while locals report threats and help keep the habitat safe.
Strict checks on sand mining and fishing, along with steady water levels and thriving riverside vegetation, have helped the young survive.
The success is a result of trust — between people, science, and the river. “Chambal’s ecosystem is still pristine,” Rajeev Chauhan, Secretary General of the Sanctuary, told TOI.
Chambal’s gharials tell a story that goes beyond numbers. They’re proof that when a river is allowed to breathe, life holds on. And sometimes, even begins again.