• After a 3 decade absence, a Gharial, unique crocodilian species native to the Indian subcontinent, has been spotted in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
• Experts suggested that the gharial may have come from India during floods and settled in the Satluj river, near the border.
• The Harike wetland, located 50 km from the border, where the Beas and Satluj rivers meet, served as the release site for 94 gharials under a conservation program initiated by the Punjab government in India between 2017 and 2021.

ABOUT GHARIALS

• Gharials are a species of crocodilian found in the fresh waters of the northern part of India, primarily in the Chambal River.
• Scientific name – Gavialis gangeticus
• They are known for their long, thin snouts.
• Protection status
  • IUCN Red List-critically endangered
  • CITES –Appendix I
  • Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• They are an indicator species of clean river water.
• Threats– river pollution, dam construction, fishing operations, floods, illegal sand mining, and poaching.