KATHMANDU, MARCH 19
A total of 205 gharial crocodiles reared at Chitwan National Park (CNP) have been released into the Rapti River in the current fiscal year, up from 133 last year.
The Crocodile Breeding Centre at Kasara, established in 1978, has so far reintroduced 2,280 gharials into various rivers, including Rapti (1,525) and Narayani (421), according to CNP Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar.
Currently, 598 crocodiles are being raised at the centre. The reintroduction programme, ongoing since 1981, has made the Rapti River the most populated with gharials in Nepal.
Officials said threats such as downstream drift to India, poaching, and increasing river pollution continue to affect the species' survival.
