Chitwan, June 19
The Gharial (Crocodile) Breeding Center at Kasara along the Chitwan National Park has reported the hatching of the crocodile eggs that were earlier collected from the banks of Rapti River.
It has reported that 202 baby crocodiles were hatched out among the collections of 232 eggs. According to CNP Information Officer Abinash Thapa Magar, 20 eggs had been incubated under laboratory conditions, producing 19 hatchlings.
The remaining eggs were laid and hatched naturally at the breeding center. It may be noted that earlier in late April, a total of 232 crocodile eggs collected from seven nests out of the 18 identified along the banks of the Rapti River in Chitwan had been gathered for the Crocodile Breeding Centre at Kasara within the Chitwan National Park (CNP) area.
The collection of eggs had begun on March 15. The crocodile eggs are vulnerable to damage from snakes, birds, other animals, and river flooding. Additionally, it is naturally challenging for crocodile eggs to find suitable temperature for incubation.
Because of these reasons, there is the low breeding rate of this reptile in the nature. Last year, 247 eggs were collected from eight nests out of 16 identified along the same riverbank.
The CNP employs six staff members specifically for collecting crocodile eggs. The animals will be released back into the river after they grow up. The breeding center was established in 1978, and crocodile hatchlings have been raised and released into rivers since 1981.
The reared hatchlings are released into various rivers. The crocodile hatchlings raised at the Center have been released into rivers such as Narayani, Rapti, and Karnali. Recently, they have only been released into the Rapti and Narayani rivers.
