Gharials are ancient fish-eating crocodilians from South Asian rivers, reduced to fewer than 200 breeding adults. Habitat loss and fishing gear entanglement threaten their survival in the Ganges and Chambal river systems.
Gharial welfare harms are primarily anthropogenic. Fishing gear entanglement causes drowning in animals that must surface to breathe — a prolonged, distressing death. Sand mining from riverbanks destroys nesting habitat, causing nest failure and female disturbance during the vulnerable nesting period. River flow regulation from dams reduces the sandy beaches gharials require for basking and nesting. Captive headstarting programmes — raising hatchlings to larger sizes before release — have improved juvenile survival but require careful welfare management during rearing. Gharials in captive conditions show stress from crowding and inadequate water quality; welfare-positive facilities maintain water temperature, quality, and space appropriate for these large, aquatic animals.