IFS Officer Shares Video Of Gharial Preservation Initiative, Internet Applauds

Conservation of wildlife has garnered much-required attention in the past couple of decades. India, too, is not left behind in fauna preservation efforts. A recent video of a baby gharial, tweeted by an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, is a testament to the same. The video, which shows a baby gharial being released into the wild as part of protecting the species, has received praise from many netizens, too.

Akash Deep Badhawan, a Divisional Forest Officer, recently made a Twitter post about an initiative in the direction of protecting the critically endangered Gharial species. Badhawan, who is in charge of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich, uploaded a video on the evening of October 27. It shows a uniform-clad officer gently releasing a baby Gharial from a cylindrical container into stagnant water. The characteristic long, slender snout was clearly visible in the video. The baby reptile is seen swimming away quickly and disappearing into the muddy waters.

Badhawan explained that the Gharials were once found all over the Indian subcontinent, in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar. However, the species is now limited to only 2% of its historical range. He stated that Gharials are a critically endangered species, before announcing that 120 Gharials were released in Gerua River on Thursday, boosting its conservation.

Amar Ujala reported that the baby Gharials were brought from the Kukrail Ghariyal Park in Lucknow.

In a response to a concerned netizen, the IFS officer also stated that releases such as this one are not an annual phenomenon. The release of Gharials in the Gerua river has been done after a gap of a few years, he wrote. Badhawan further informed that an annual census of their population is done “in collaboration with organisations like WII, WWF and others.”

Twitter users have showered praise upon the initiative, with many also applauding Badhawan for sharing the great work.

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