Safeguarding Gharials to save the Chambal

Using the gharial as a barometer of river health and an umbrella for conservation, we restore its habitats, conserve wildlife, and work alongside the communities that call the Chambal home.

Explore our work Reports & publications

Gharial Ecology Project

In 2007–08, more than 100 subadult and near-adult gharials died under unknown circumstances in the lower Chambal River — a serious blow to a species that was already Critically Endangered. Worse still, little was known about the life history of these unique crocodilians.

The Gharial Ecology Project was established in 2008 to unravel the secret lives of gharials. Nearing its 20th year, the project is jointly implemented by the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and the Gharial Local & Global Foundation, and turns two decades of ecological data into evidence-based conservation — for gharials, for the Chambal, and for the people who depend on it.

Our story

Hatchling gharials resting on an adult’s head

2008Year the project began on the Chambal

~20Years of gharial ecological data

~¼Of all wild Chambal nesting protected by River Watch

700 kmTranslocation route to the Son River

Research Initiatives

We integrate data from multiple research initiatives to identify the conservation needs of gharials within the Chambal River.

Research

Movement Ecology

Tracking tagged gharials to understand how, when and why they move along the river.

Behavioural Ecology

Long-term studies of what gharials do — from courtship and nesting to parental care.

The Chambal Sandscape

Monitoring the sandbanks gharials need for nesting, from satellites and on the ground.

Gharial Genomics

Two decades of samples, used to assess the genetic health of the largest gharial population.

Conservation Actions

Conservation needs identified through ecological and genomic studies are implemented in an inclusive framework with local communities and Forest Departments.

Action