Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) in Bardiya National Park, Nepal: Population, habitat and threats

1. The Critically Endangered gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) residing within BardiyaNational Park (BNP) in Nepal constitutes the sixth major sub-population of thisunique lineage; however, this population is not well studied. A 46 km protectedstretch of the Babai River and a 60 km stretch of the Karnali River in and aroundBNP were surveyed for gharials in early 2017 and in 2019.2. Gharial counts in 2017 – 17 from the Babai and one from the Karnali rivers –consisted of 10 adults, five sub-adults and three juveniles. In 2019, 19 gharialswere counted – 18 for the Babai and one for the Karnali – comprising 11 adults,six sub-adults and two juveniles. In the Babai River within BNP, four breedinggroups were identified. Gharials in BNP prefer sandy vs. rocky banks for baskingand completely avoid sand-grass and clay banks. Habitat preference did not varywith size class.3. Protected stretches of both rivers inside BNP (76 km) have resident gharial, intacthabitats and few human threats. In contrast