Artificial breeding: Efforts on to hatch baby gharials from 80 eggs at Rasikbil Mini Zoo

cooch behar: Cooch Behar’s Rasikbil Mini Zoo is set to welcome new gharials using artificial breeding methods as part of an initiative of the Forest department. Artificial breeding methods are implemented in the Rasikbil breeding centre, where efforts are currently underway to hatch baby gharials from 80 eggs.

After the persistent efforts of the Forest department, the zoo welcomed 39 new gharials last year. On April 20, in the presence of officials from the Forest department of Cooch Behar wildlife division, 80 eggs were collected from the sand bed nest in the zoo.

These 80 eggs have been placed in an artificial nest in the nursery and are being carefully monitored under controlled temperature conditions.

The Chief Forest Officer, Soumitra Dasgupta, stated that a meeting was held a few days ago to discuss the conservation of gharials, dolphins, and other aquatic creatures in freshwater bodies. The artificial breeding of gharials will only be meaningful when we can release them into their natural habitat.

For the past 21 years, Rasikbil has been home to 11 gharials, consisting of four females and seven males. Despite efforts to artificially breed gharials at the breeding center, previous attempts to hatch gharial eggs were unsuccessful. Following the advice of experts at the Nandankanan Crocodile Breeding Centre in Odisha, Rasikbil Mini Zoo successfully hatched gharial eggs for the first time last year.

A total of 66 eggs were collected and placed in the nursery.

After being kept at a specific temperature for 76 days, 39 baby gharials hatched simultaneously.