20 crocodiles raised at the crocodile breeding center at Sauraha, the headquarters of Chitwan National Park, have been released into their natural habitat.
On the occasion of World Wetland Day, the park released two male gharials and 18 female gharials in Rapti river on Thursday. Raju Ghimire, assistant conservation officer of the park, informed that three of the clocks left in their natural habitat are six years old. He said that the remaining 17 crocodiles are seven years old.
According to Chitwan National Park Information Officer and Assistant Conservation Officer Ganesh Prasad Tiwari, the park has so far released a total of 1,712 crocodiles in their natural habitat. "Before this, nine hundred and seventy-two in the Rapti River, We have released 419 crocodiles in Narayani river, 35 in Kaligandaki river, 115 in Saptakosi river, 41 in Karnali river and 110 in Babai river", he said, "including 20 crocodiles released on Thursday, so far we have released 1000 crocodiles. We have released 712 crocodiles in their natural habitat.
Tiwari said that even though the park monitors the condition of endangered crocodiles after they are released into their natural habitat, it should be monitored at the national level. "We have found that clock crocodiles migrate long distances", Tiwari said, "It seems that clock crocodiles left in Narayani and Rapti can reach Kosi through India." He said that after crossing the Gandak barrage while flowing through the river and entering towards India, there is no condition for the Ghadiya to return to the Narayani river.
Haribhadra Neupane, chief conservation officer of Chitwan National Park, said that Ghadial crocodile is now found only in Nepal and India. He said that since the crocodiles in their natural habitats are unsafe to flower and give birth, the park collects crocodile eggs from the river banks and takes them to the breeding center of the park, where the eggs are bred and the babies are raised. Acharya said that the crocodiles raised in this way are taken to their natural habitat after they are six years old. According to the park, preparations are being made to release more than 100 ghadiyal babies into their natural habitat this year as well.
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