CORRESPONDENCE the virus which has created havoc across disease seems to be the only possible so- 6. Naresh Kumar, C. V. M., Anthony John- geographical boundaries and age groups. lution. son, A. M. and Sai Gopal, D. V. R., Indian The Government should take the neces- J. Med. Res., 2007, 126, 534–540. sary steps during such outbreaks and a 7. Brouard, C. et al., Transfusion, 21 Febru- 1. Taubitz, W. et al., Clin. Infect. Dis., 2007, ary 2008. precautionary measure should be imple- mented for CHIKV screening in blood 45, e1–e4. 2. Robinson, M. C., Trans. R. Soc. Trop. banks. The impact and feasibility of Med. Hyg., 1955, 49, 28–32. C. V. M. NARESH KUMAR CHIKV in organ transplantation is yet to 3. Lumsden, W. H. R., Trans. R. Soc. Trop. D. V. R. SAI GOPAL* be understood. In the absence of a pre- Med. Hyg., 1955, 49, 33–57. ventive vaccine for CHIKV and to fur- 4. http://research.yale.edu/swahili/learn/?q=en/ Department of Virology, ther prevent any such CHIKV epidemics chikungunya_makonde Sri Venkateswara University, in the near future, establishment of a sys- 5. Parola, P. et al., Emerg. Infect. Dis., 2006, Tirupati 517 502, India tem for continuous surveillance of the 12, 1493–1499. *e-mail: [email protected]

Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) on the verge of extinction

Reptiles evolved on the earth some 200 1978–79 under the Crocodile Conserva- eggs have medicinal value. All these su- million years ago. Fossil records show tion Project for the protection of Indian perstitions have led to their decline in that they evolved in different ways and Gharial. This is the only wetland sanctu- Nepal. were semi-aquatic in habit, with charac- ary in India for the conservation and Gharials in Nepal were listed as ‘En- teristics similar to mammals and birds. management of crocodiles4. An alluvial dangered’ in the IUCN Red Data Book of Crocodiles find a place in ancient folk- belt of eroded banks, sandy islets, penin- 1975. The 2007 IUCN Red Data list of lore: Egyptians worshipped a god named sulas and deep sand banks of Chambal threatened species places the Indian Sobek, who had a human body and formed an ideal habitat for the Gharials Gharial in the ‘Critically Endangered’ crocodile head. for basking and nesting5. category7; and if the present rate of de- The Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeti- Apart from the National Chambal cline continues, the Indian Gharial will cus) is the oldest crocodilian and the sole Sanctuary, Orissa also forms a good soon become extinct. survivor of an evolutionary line called habitat for the Gharials. In fact, Orissa is archosauromorpha. The name ‘Gharial’ the only state in India to have all three originated from a ‘ghara’ or earthen pot species of Indian crocodiles, viz. mugger 1. Smith, M. A., The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Reptiles and on their head1. or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palus- Amphibians, 1, Taylor and Francis Ltd, The Gharials, once abundant in river tris), the saltwater or estuarine crocodile London, 1931, p. 185. systems of the Indian subcontinent (Crocodylus porosus) and Gharial (Gavi- 2. Neil, W. T., The Last of the Ruling Rep- with its range extending throughout the alis gangeticus). But the once abundant tiles: Alligators, Crocodiles and their Kin, Gangetic Plains, Indus river in Pakistan, Gharial population in three major river Columbia University Press, New York, northern Nepal and Bhutan, East Burma systems of Orissa, viz. Mahanadi, Brah- 1971, p. 486. and southern Orissa2, are reportedly ex- mani and Baitarani, showed a steady de- 3. Behura, B. K. and Singh, L., Indian For., tinct in Burma and Pakistan3. The Indian cline and by 1975 a small population of 1978, 83–92. Gharial is now confined to India, Nepal juvenile and adult Gharials survived only 4. Smith, M. A., The Fauna of British India, and Bangladesh, in scattered and isolated in the Mahanadi. including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia, Vol. I. Loricata, Testudines, populations. Many factors, individually or in com- Indian reprint edition, New Delhi, 1933. The late 1970s saw a drastic decline in bination, were responsible for the drastic 5. Rao, R. J., Indian Wildlife – Threats and the Gharial population and distribution. decline of the Gharial population in the Preservation (ed. Sharma, B. D.), Anmol, In 1975, the Crocodile Conservation Pro- Indian subcontinent. Loss of habitat New Delhi, 2002, pp. 140–154. ject was initiated by the Government of owing to construction of reservoirs and 6. Mishra, H. R. and Maskey, T. M., Die India/UNDP, FAO in Uttar Pradesh, for dams, lack of stringent laws, trapping Inter. Zeitschrift fur Tier, Mench undue, the conservation of the Gharial. The pro- in fishing nets and erroneous supersti- Nat, 1981, pp. 15–18. ject involved two phases – captive breed- tions have made them one of the most 7. IUCN, Red List of Threatened Species, 2007; available online at www.IUCN.org ing and rehabilitation. Gharial eggs were vulnerable reptiles. Superstitions are part collected from the wild, incubated and of the South Asian tradition, but some of the resultant hatchlings were released them harm wildlife. A common belief of SUMAN D. GAD into the wild. At times, 90% of incubation a local tribe called ‘Tharu’ of Nepal as- of the eggs was done in situ in wild nests sociated with the Gharial is that the (S. Ramaseshan Fellow), and then the eggs were transported to ‘ghara’ kept under the pillow of pregnant c/o Vedpal Tari, hatcheries at rehabilitation centres for women relieved her of her labour pain6. D-3/F, Gen. Pool, complete incubation. Another belief is that incense sticks Government Quarters, The National Chambal Sanctuary made of ‘ghara’ when burnt in fields Altinho-Panaji, (25°30′–26°52′N and 76°28′–79°00′E) acted as a pesticide. In addition, the Goa 403 001, India was founded over Chambal river in ‘Tharu’ community believes that Gharial e-mail: [email protected]

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