Bihar to Have Incubation Centre for Gharials, Turtles

Patna: The Bihar government will soon sign a MoU with the Wildlife Trust of India to establish the state’s first incubation and interpretation centre for gharials and turtles in the Gandak river in Bettiah in West Champaran district.

According to the Bihar Forest Department, the Los Angeles Zoo in the US state of California has agreed to strengthen the ongoing conservation effort through ex-situ incubation and further release of the hatchlings back to the river safely. Ex-situ conservation is the process of protecting an endangered species outside its natural habitat.

The Gandak river is the second successful breeding site for gharials in India after the National Chambal Sanctuary near the tri-junction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The Gharial Conservation Project in the Gandak river was launched in association with WTI in 2014. At present there are 217 fish-eating long-snouted reptiles in the 284-km stretch of the Gandak river. Ex-situ conservation measures will further increase the numbers of gharials and turtles in Gandak river.