Attraction Guide: Gharial Breeding Center, Sauraha, Nepal

Gharial Breeding Center Guide

Guardians of the Gharial: A Conservation Story Guide

The Gharial Breeding Center in Sauraha offers a fascinating glimpse into the conservation efforts dedicated to saving the critically endangered gharial, a unique crocodilian species native to the Indian subcontinent. This center provides a safe haven for gharial eggs and hatchlings, playing a vital role in boosting their population and ensuring their survival in the wild. Gharials, with their distinctive long, slender snouts, were once abundant in the rivers of Nepal and India. However, habitat loss, poaching, and entanglement in fishing nets led to a drastic decline in their numbers. The Gharial Breeding Center was established to address this crisis by collecting eggs from the wild, incubating them, and raising the hatchlings until they are large enough to be released back into their natural habitat. Visitors can observe the gharials at various stages of development, from tiny hatchlings to larger juveniles. Learn about the challenges they face in the wild and the dedicated work being done to protect them. The center also provides educational information about gharials and their importance to the ecosystem. While in Sauraha, be sure to sample some local delicacies like Dhindo (a traditional Nepali dish made from buckwheat or millet flour) or Sel Roti (a sweet, ring-shaped rice bread).