Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to gharial conservation efforts in Odisha, seven adult gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) were released into the Mahanadi River gorge at Satkosia.
The release took place at Sunakhani Ghat on Wednesday in the presence of Odisha’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), during a two-day review of ongoing conservation activities in the region.
Of the seven endangered reptiles, five were brought from Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar, while the remaining two were sourced from the Tikarpada-based Gharial Research and Conservation Unit (GRACU) in Satkosia.
The group comprised five females and two males, released under the state’s continuing Gharial Recovery Programme aimed at reviving the population of the critically endangered species in the wild.
According to a senior wildlife official, plans are underway to release more radio-tagged gharials into the 21-km-long Mahanadi River gorge, located within the Satkosia Tiger Reserve, to monitor their adaptation and movement.
