The crocodile count has been carried out on the Narayani river from Sikhrauli to Triveni and on the Rapti river from Jindagani Ghat to Dovan, said Ved Khadka, Assistant Conservation Officer at the CNP.[break]
It took three days to carry out the census. Khadka said the exact number of the Gharial crocodiles will be determined within a month after this census is tallied.
A census carried out in 2011 found that there were 33 Gharial crocodiles in the Rapti river and 48 in the Narayani river. The total Gharial population throughout the country was 202.
Apart from the Narayani and the Rapti rivers, the Gharial crocodile is found in the Karnali and Babai rivers in Mid-west region. The Gharial is found only in Nepal and India and is listed as an endangered species. It is considered 20 times more endangered than tiger and rhino.
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