The gharial is one of the world’s most endangered crocodilians. It has lost most of its range because of dams, sand mining, fishing nets and river pollution, and its survival depends on protected stretches of river and breeding programmes.
Interesting facts
- Its extremely thin snout is adapted for catching fish with a sideways sweep.
- It has more than 100 sharp, interlocking teeth.
- Gharials are poorly suited to walking on land.
- The wild population fell to perhaps 200 adults in the 1970s and again crashed in the 2000s.
- India’s National Chambal Sanctuary holds the largest population.
- Nepal’s gharial breeding centre in Chitwan releases young gharials into rivers.
Behaviour
Gharials spend most of their lives in water, coming out to bask on sandbanks. They are harmless to people.
Breeding and young
Females dig nests in sandbanks and lay 20 to 95 eggs; hatchlings gather in groups guarded by adults.
Threats and conservation
Dams and barrages, sand mining, drowning in fishing nets, loss of fish and river pollution.
Where to see it
- National Chambal Sanctuary, India
- Chitwan National Park, Nepal
- Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, India
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
Jim Corbett National Park Guide
