Maarg Manthan · Topic 8.6

Crocodile Conservation Project

Environment & Ecology › Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes · Topic 8.6

The Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in 1975 by the Government of India with help from the UNDP and FAO to save three crocodilian species whose numbers had crashed because of hunting for skins, egg collection and habitat loss: the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), the mugger or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) and the saltwater or estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Its main method was rearing from eggs collected from the wild, protecting nesting sites and releasing young into protected waters, and the project built many rearing centres, beginning at Tikerpada on the Mahanadi in Odisha and Kukrail in Lucknow. It also created sanctuaries such as the National Chambal Sanctuary (1979), Satkosia Gorge, Bhitarkanika and Sanjay Gandhi sites, and it was among India's most successful early wildlife projects. The gharial remains Critically Endangered, the mugger Vulnerable and the saltwater crocodile of Least Concern.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes

At a Glance

Launched 1975
Species Gharial, mugger, saltwater
Gharial status Critically Endangered
Chambal Sanctuary 1979
Method Egg rearing and release
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Protected Area Network and Species-Based Conservation Programmes

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the Vulture Conservation Project. It covers reptile conservation along rivers and coasts, and ties to river health and the Ganges dolphin project that follows. Previous topic: Vulture Conservation Project. Next topic: Ganges Dolphin Project.

Which Crocodilians Does India Have and Where Are They Protected?

Species	Habitat, status and sanctuary
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)	Fish-eating, long thin snout, males have a ghara on the snout tip. Rivers of north India: Chambal, Girwa (Ghaghara), Gandak, Son, Mahanadi. Critically Endangered. Chambal Sanctuary, Katarniaghat, Satkosia
Mugger (Crocodylus palustris)	Broad-snouted, freshwater: lakes, rivers, reservoirs and ponds across India. Vulnerable. Many sites; found in Gujarat’s Vishwamitri river and in Hyderabad
Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)	Largest living reptile; found in mangroves and estuaries of Odisha (Bhitarkanika), Sundarbans and Andaman and Nicobar. Least Concern globally; India’s population is small
Chambal Sanctuary	National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, about 5,400 sq km, established 1979
Satkosia Gorge	Odisha; Mahanadi gharial sanctuary; also a tiger reserve
Bhitarkanika	Odisha; the largest nesting site of saltwater crocodiles in India; Ramsar site
Others	Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (UP), Son Gharial Sanctuary (MP), Kukrail Centre (Lucknow), Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (Tamil Nadu)

What Are the Results and Threats?

Achievement: thousands of crocodiles were reared and released, and gharial numbers rose from a few hundred in the 1970s to well over a thousand adults, though trends have fluctuated
Gharial crash: a sharp decline in 1997-2006 in the Chambal, partly from mass deaths in 2007-08 from kidney disease, probably linked to pollution and toxins
Threats: sand mining, dams and barrages that fragment rivers, fishing nets, pollution and loss of nesting sandbanks
Mugger conflict: human-crocodile conflict in Gujarat and Maharashtra
Saltwater crocodile conflict: attacks in Sundarbans and Andaman
Legal status: all three are Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act
CITES: gharial and mugger are in Appendix I
Today: programmes in the Chambal, Ganga and Mahanadi continue with state forest departments

What Else Should You Remember?

Dr H.R. Bustard: FAO expert who helped design the project
Madras Crocodile Bank: set up by Romulus Whitaker in 1976; one of the largest reptile centres in the world
Romulus Whitaker: herpetologist known as Snakeman of India
Sanctuary rule: protects river stretches from fishing and sand mining
Egg collection: eggs collected from wild nests are incubated to avoid loss from floods and predators
Ghara: bulb on male gharial snout used for sound and display
Fish-eating: gharial feeds on fish and does not attack people
Gharial in Nepal: Chitwan population
Gharial in Bangladesh and Myanmar: almost extinct
Mugger: lives in ponds, village tanks and reservoirs
Crocodile temperature: sex of hatchlings depends on nest temperature
Estuarine crocodile: can travel across seas
Mangrove role: Bhitarkanika mangroves and creek systems provide nesting sites
Sandbank nesting: gharials nest on sandbanks, which sand mining destroys
River flow: dams change flow and sandbanks
Pollution: affects fish and crocodile health
Tourism: crocodile safari at Chambal and boats
Link to previous: see Vulture Conservation Project
Link to next: see Ganges Dolphin Project
Link to rivers: see Water Resources and Water Pollution macro
Caution: gharial and gavial are the same animal; false gharial is a separate species in Southeast Asia
Differences: gharial has a slender snout, mugger a broad snout
Exam hint: learn species, status, and sanctuary pairings
Ganges gharial range: once found in the Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and Mahanadi, it is now mostly limited to a few river stretches
Gharial census: the Chambal gharial count is made each year in winter by forest staff
Rearing and release: hatchlings are raised until about a metre long to improve survival before release
Nesting season: gharials nest from March to April on sand banks, and eggs hatch in June before floods
Mugger status: declining in many places, with threats from hunting, drainage of wetlands and pollution
Saltwater croc size: adult males can exceed five metres and are the largest living reptiles
Agencies: state forest departments, Wildlife Institute of India, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and WWF work together
Human conflict: fishermen’s nets entangle gharials, and muggers attack livestock and sometimes people in villages near ponds
Hatchery sites: Kukrail near Lucknow, Tikerpada in Odisha and Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park are well known

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Launch: 1975
Species: three
Sanctuary: Chambal 1979
Current affairs link: Chambal sand mining and gharial census
Common errors: calling gharial a crocodile species of the genus Crocodylus

As an analytical point, the project proved that captive rearing and strict nest protection can recover reptiles, but gharial survival now depends on river flow and sand. Protecting rivers, not just animals, is the real task.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Method Rear and release
Species Three
Need River health

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Ganges Dolphin Project. Next topic: Ganges Dolphin Project.

Key People and Terms

Gharial Fish-eating crocodilian
Mugger Marsh crocodile
Ghara Snout bulb
Estuarine crocodile Saltwater crocodile
Rearing centre Egg-hatching facility
Sandbank Nesting bar

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Launched 1975.
Gharial is Critically Endangered.
Chambal sanctuary: 1979.
Saltwater croc nests at Bhitarkanika.
All three in Schedule I.

Do Not Confuse With

Gharial and mugger Slender fish-eater versus broad freshwater crocodile
Mugger and saltwater crocodile Freshwater versus estuarine
Gharial and alligator Asian fish-eater versus American relative

Memory Hook

Gharial in rivers, mugger in ponds, saltie in mangroves: three, since seventy-five.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for species, status and places. These points help.

Species Three
Method Rearing
Threat River change

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Describe the Crocodile Conservation Project and discuss the threats to the gharial in India.”

How to Answer

Species Three.
Method Egg rearing.
Sites Sanctuaries.
Threats River.

GS Relevance

Prelims: three species, sanctuaries, status, 1975. GS Paper 3: wildlife and river ecology.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Crocodile Conservation Project launched?

The Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in 1975 by the Government of India with support from the UNDP and FAO. It aimed to save the gharial, mugger and saltwater crocodile by protecting nesting sites, collecting and hatching eggs in rearing centres, and releasing the young into protected rivers and wetlands.

Which crocodilians are found in India?

India has three: the gharial, a slender-snouted fish eater of northern rivers, the mugger or marsh crocodile of freshwater lakes and rivers across the country, and the saltwater or estuarine crocodile of mangroves and coasts in Odisha, the Sundarbans and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

What is the status of the gharial?

The gharial is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. It has disappeared from most of its former range and survives mainly in the Chambal river and a few other rivers. Sand mining, dams, fishing nets and pollution are major threats.

Where is the National Chambal Sanctuary?

The National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1979, protects a stretch of the Chambal river along the borders of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is home to the largest population of gharials, along with Gangetic dolphins, turtles, muggers and many birds.

Where does the saltwater crocodile nest in India?

The largest nesting site of the saltwater crocodile in India is the Bhitarkanika mangroves in Odisha, which is a Ramsar site and a national park. Smaller populations exist in the Sundarbans of West Bengal and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where the species is also protected.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Crocodile Conservation Project began in 1975.

True

With UNDP and FAO help.

2 The gharial is a freshwater marsh crocodile.

False

The mugger is the marsh crocodile.

3 Bhitarkanika is a major nesting site of saltwater crocodiles.