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HOMEMass die-off of gharial GHARIALS UNDER GRAVE THREAT - WWF Between December 8 and December 22, 2007, approximately 50 gharials, of the remaining 1300 in India, have been found dead in the National Chambal Sanctuary. Established in 1978, the sanctuary is spread across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and protects a 400 km stretch of the Chambal River. The mortalities have been confined to a 25 km stretch of the river roughly extending from the Etawah-Gwalior Road Bridge to the construction site of another road bridge at Sahson, near the tehsil town of Chakarnagar. No sign of external injuries has ruled out the possibility of accidental death of these animals in the nets of fish poachers in the sanctuary. Reports from veterinary doctors have revealed irregularities in the gastro-intestinal tract. A more precise toxicological and pathological examination of the organs of the dead gharials by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, and ITRC, Lucknow, have found lead concentrations between 0.7-1.4 ppm. The tissues from liver and kidneys have shown extensive degenerative changes with consistent presence of various stages of protozoan parasite. |
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