The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is one of the world's most critically endangered reptiles, reduced to a single wild population on the Chambal and Girwa rivers in India and Nepal. Fewer than 300 adults survive, facing threats from river degradation, fishing nets, and sand mining.
Gharials caught in fishing nets experience drowning — a highly stressful and painful death for an air-breathing reptile. Sand mining collapses riverbanks, destroying nest sites and forcing females to travel further for suitable nesting areas, increasing vulnerability. In captivity, juvenile gharials require precise water temperature management and live fish diets to maintain health. Long-term captive individuals often develop metabolic bone disease if vitamin D and calcium supplementation is inadequate. Post-release monitoring reveals high mortality from fisheries interactions in the first year, indicating the need for community-based fishing gear modification programs alongside releases.