# Gharial — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789)*

> The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a Critically Endangered fish-eating crocodilian of India and Nepal with fewer than 900 mature individuals remaining; river damming, sand mining and pollution are the primary threats.

**IUCN status:** Critically Endangered  ·  **WARN range:** India, Nepal

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Length | 3.5–4.5 m (males); females smaller |
| Diet | Almost exclusively fish |
| Distinctive feature | Long narrow snout; male ghara |
| Habitat | Deep, fast-flowing rivers with sandbanks |
| Population | Fewer than 900 mature individuals |
| CITES | Appendix I |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Reptilia
- **Order:** Crocodilia
- **Family:** Gavialidae
- **Species:** Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789)

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Critically Endangered (IUCN, 2022). Fewer than 900 mature individuals.
- **Population:** Fewer than 900 mature individuals in India and Nepal
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2022
- **CITES:** Appendix I
- Head-starting programmes release captive-reared juveniles into protected rivers.

## Key facts: Gharial
- Gharials have the longest, thinnest snout of any crocodilian — built for catching fish.
- Males develop a bulbous 'ghara' on the snout tip used in vocalisation and display.
- Fewer than 900 mature gharials remain in the wild.
- They require clean, deep, fast-flowing rivers with sandbanks for nesting.
- Dam construction and sand mining have destroyed most historic gharial habitat.
- Captive breeding and head-starting programmes release juveniles into protected rivers.

## A crocodilian built for fish
The gharial belongs to the family Gavialidae, separate from true crocodiles and alligators. Its snout is exceptionally long and narrow, with 110–130 interlocking teeth — the most of any crocodilian. This morphology generates minimal water disturbance when snapping at fish. Gharials are not built for land; adults rarely leave the water except to bask and nest. Males reach 4–4.5 m; females are smaller.

The ghara — a cartilaginous nasal bulb — amplifies hissing and buzzing vocalisations during the breeding season and may serve as a visual signal.

## River life and breeding
Gharials inhabit deep, clear, fast-flowing rivers with high oxygen levels and abundant fish. They bask communally on sandbanks, often in groups of dozens. Breeding occurs during the dry season; females dig nest holes in sandbars and lay 30–60 eggs. Incubation takes roughly 70 days.

Hatchlings measure about 37 cm and receive no parental care, though females guard nests. Head-starting programmes — rearing hatchlings in captivity for two to three years before release — have boosted wild populations in the Chambal and Girwa rivers.

## Collapse and remnant rivers
Gharial populations collapsed from an estimated 5,000–10,000 in the 1940s to fewer than 200 by the 1970s. The Chambal River — straddling Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh — now holds the largest wild population. Smaller groups survive in the Girwa (Katarniaghat), Son, Gandak and Narayani rivers. Dam construction fragments rivers and alters flow; sand mining destroys nesting banks; fishing nets entangle and drown gharials; pollution reduces fish stocks. The species cannot survive in reservoirs or sluggish, polluted water.

## Conservation and recovery efforts
India and Nepal protect gharials under national law. Captive breeding at facilities in India and Nepal produces hundreds of juveniles annually for release. The IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group coordinates monitoring. Community engagement along the Chambal reduces sand mining and net fishing. Despite these efforts, the 2022 IUCN assessment recorded fewer than 900 mature individuals with a continuing decline. CITES Appendix I bans commercial trade. Saving gharials requires free-flowing rivers — a challenge that benefits all freshwater biodiversity.

## Related WARN guides
Gharials are fish-eating crocodilians — read WARN's alligator guide for American wetland relatives, saltwater crocodile page for Indo-Pacific giants, and crocodilian hub for the wider group.

WARN works in Pakistan — within gharial historical range on the Indus system.

River restoration and sandbank protection underpin gharial recovery.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes this gharial guide as free public education. River conservation in India and Nepal — gharial range — aligns with the freshwater habitat protection that sustains biodiversity across South Asia.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Gharial
### Are gharials dangerous to humans?
Gharials are not man-eaters. Their narrow snouts and fish-specialist teeth cannot take large prey. No confirmed fatal gharial attack on a human has been documented. They are shy and retreat from disturbance.

### What is the ghara?
The ghara is a bulbous growth on the tip of the adult male gharial's snout, named after an Indian pot. It amplifies vocalisations during breeding and may serve as a visual signal to females and rival males.

### How many gharials are left?
The 2022 IUCN assessment estimated fewer than 900 mature individuals in India and Nepal. The Chambal River holds the largest remaining population.

### What do gharials eat?
Gharials eat fish almost exclusively. Juveniles also take insects and small crustaceans. Their long, narrow snouts are specialised for fast sideways snapping at fish in water.

### Why are gharials Critically Endangered?
Dam construction, sand mining, fishing net entanglement and river pollution have destroyed the clean, flowing rivers and sandbank nesting sites gharials require.

### Where can you see gharials?
Wild gharials can be viewed on the Chambal River (India), Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and in Nepal's Narayani River system. Boat safaris on the Chambal offer reliable sightings.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Gavialis gangeticus](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/8966/3148542)
- [IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group](https://iucncsg.org/)
- [CITES — Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/gharial