The Kukrail Gharial Rehabilitation Centre in Lucknow has achieved a remarkable success rate of over 95% in hatching eggs of the critically endangered gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), a freshwater crocodilian. In natural conditions, fewer than 1% of hatchlings survive, but the centre's intervention has significantly boosted conservation efforts.
Conservation Success at Kukrail
The gharial, native to Uttar Pradesh's river systems, is listed as critically endangered and protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Human pressures and low survival rates have historically threatened the species. Established in 1975, the Lucknow facility intervenes at the most vulnerable stage of the gharial life cycle. Each year, it collects 100 to 150 eggs from riverbank nests in high-risk areas, where predation and destruction are common. These eggs are incubated and hatched in controlled conditions, achieving a 95% to 98% success rate.
Sanjay Kumar Biswal, conservator of the Endangered Species Division, Uttar Pradesh, said, "We mainly collect eggs from nests along the Chambal and Saryu rivers. Collection takes about a week and is done by trained staff." He added that the centre plans to scale up collection to at least 500 eggs for artificial hatching and rearing. After being reared for three to five years, young gharials are released into rivers during winter, when conditions are more favourable. Official figures show that 7,667 gharials have been released since 1976, including at least 1,500 in the last five years.
Expansion and International Recognition
The centre's captive population has grown from five breeding adults in 1976 to 466 gharials currently. Under wildlife exchange programmes, Kukrail has sent gharials to destinations including Japan, Pakistan, the United States, and Bhutan. The project has received international attention, with the National Geographic Society describing it as the 'most successful conservation project in India' in June 2025.
The centre has also become an eco-tourism site, attracting nearly two lakh domestic visitors and over 100 foreign tourists annually. Tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh said the conservation gains have strengthened Uttar Pradesh's profile as an eco-tourism destination and highlighted the need to protect river ecosystems.
Wild Gharial Populations and Threats
In the wild, gharials can be found in and around the National Chambal Sanctuary, Dudhwa National Park, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, and river stretches across Maharajganj, Bahraich, Barabanki, and Hastinapur. Gharials nest on high sandbars, with the Chambal river considered a preferred breeding ground. Conservationists note that monsoon currents pose a major threat to hatchlings, as hatching occurs in late May and early June. Rajeev Chauhan of the Society for Conservation of Nature said that 1,000 to 1,500 nests are spotted annually in Uttar Pradesh, with roughly 45 to 50 eggs per nest, but only a small fraction survive without intervention.
