By Amrit Pal Sidhu #Babushahi Network
Chandigarh, July 30:
In a major conservation success, an adult Gharial measuring over 12 feet has been successfully rescued from the Indira Gandhi Canal in Rajasthan after nearly five months of continuous monitoring and coordinated efforts by the Forest Departments of Rajasthan and Punjab.
The Critically Endangered reptile has been transported to Chhatbir Zoo, Punjab, where it will undergo veterinary examination, rehabilitation and acclimatisation before its planned release into the Beas River Conservation Reserve.
The Gharial was first sighted in the Indira Gandhi Canal in March 2026. Several rescue attempts were made over the following months, but high water levels, strong currents and the animal's continuous movement through the extensive canal network delayed the operation.
The reptile was finally rescued on July 27 from the Mohangarh Minor in Jaisalmer district after water conditions became favourable.
Officials said the successful rescue was made possible through sustained coordination between the Forest Departments of Rajasthan and Punjab, wildlife experts and field teams, who closely tracked the animal's movement across multiple districts.
Punjab has emerged as an important landscape for Gharial conservation. Under a collaborative programme led by the Punjab Forest Department with technical support from WWF-India and other conservation partners, 94 juvenile Gharials have already been reintroduced into the Beas River Conservation Reserve.
The addition of the rescued adult Gharial is expected to further strengthen the recovering population of the species in the Beas-Harike river system.
Wildlife officials described the operation as a significant example of successful inter-state collaboration for species conservation, reaffirming the commitment of both states to protecting one of India's most endangered freshwater reptiles and restoring its natural habitat in north-western India.