Close up
Gavialis gangeticus
Get ready to meet one of the most incredible creatures swimming in the rivers of the world – the amazing Gharial! Imagine a crocodile, but with a super-long, super-skinny snout that looks like it's been specially designed for something amazing. And guess what? It totally has! In fact, the grown-up boy gharials even have a big, round bump on the end of their nose that looks like a pot, called a 'ghara' – that's how they got their cool name!
But why the super-snout? This incredible animal is a master fisher! Its long, narrow jaws are absolutely perfect for snapping up slippery fish underwater. And get this – they have over 100 super-sharp, interlocking teeth, all ready to grab their dinner. Plus, these guys are HUGE! Some male gharials can grow longer than a small car, making them one of the longest crocodilians on the whole planet. Talk about a river giant!
How many are left?
Have a guess first — how many do you think are still alive?
about 650
each dot ≈ 10 individuals
Imagine if there were only about 650 grown-up gharials left in the whole wide world – that's fewer gharials than students in many big schools! This makes them super rare and means they need our help because they're in big trouble, almost disappearing from our planet.
Gharials need clean rivers with sandy banks to live, hunt for fish, and lay their eggs. But people are building dams, taking sand away, and making the water dirty with pollution, which destroys their homes.
Being done about itScientists and rangers are working hard to protect parts of rivers where gharials live and clean up the water. They are also creating new sandy spots for gharials to lay their eggs safely.
Gharials can accidentally get tangled in fishing nets meant for fish, which can sometimes hurt them or stop them from getting air. Also, if too many fish are caught by people, gharials have less food to eat.
Being done about itPeople are teaching fishermen how to use nets that don't trap gharials and are working to make sure there are enough fish in the rivers for both people and gharials to share.
But don't worry, brave scientists and conservation heroes are on a mission to save them! They collect gharial eggs to hatch them safely in special places, then release the healthy baby gharials back into their river homes, making sure they have clean water and plenty of fish to eat.
