Gharial

The gharial ( Gavialis gangeticus) has been around for about 42 million years, and hence, has various folk and fairy tales to its name – where it is never the good guy. However, nothing makes it deserve the fate of having a population of just 300 to 900 individuals left in the wild. Gharials were once distributed from Pakistan to Myanmar, but can now only be found in just two percent of their previous range: in India, along the Chambal, Girwa, and Son Rivers, and in Nepal, along the Narayani River. Hunting for its skin and pollution of its habitat are responsible for its decline. The gharial is showing some signs of recovery in several national parks, and sightings have been reported in Bangladesh as well.