Chitwan, June 20

Chitwan National Park has started round-the-clock monitoring of ‘ghariyal’ crocodiles on the Rapti and Narayani rivers from this week.

“A three-member team has been assigned to monitor the status of ghariyals, their food, habitats and babies,” said assistant conservation officer Bed Bahadur Khadka, adding that the monitoring would last for a few more days. “We are monitoring the creatures even at night by pitching a tent on the river bank,” said Khadka, who is also the head of the monitoring team.

“The monitoring will help us understand the behaviour of ghariyals in the murky waters during the monsoon and the condition of fish which they feed on,” he said. The monitoring had started from Piple in Rapti municipality. As per the latest official count, there are about 166 crocodiles in the Rapti and Narayani rivers. A total of 965 crocodiles had been released in Rapti and Narayani rivers in 2017. This year alone, 120 baby crocodiles were released in the rivers.