Baby Gavial Born at Cincinnati Zoo; First in 25 Years

A baby gavial, the first in 25 years at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, hatched this week, zoo officials said.

The female gavial, who has not yet been named, was born Monday and is being hand-raised by zoo staff. She weighed in at 2.5 pounds and is about 24 inches long.

According to a news release from the zoo, the youngster is doing well and is being kept in a warm environment with plenty of food. She will be introduced to the public when she's older and ready for exhibit.

Gavials are native to South Asia and are considered a critically endangered species due to hunting and habitat loss. The zoo's last gavial baby was born in 1992.

Gavials Threatened by Poachers Seeking their Teeth

As recently as the early 1990s, fewer than 100 gavials remained in the wild. Poachers seeking their teeth have brought that number down to as few as 25 today.

Gavials are a type of crocodile found in India and other parts of Southeast Asia. They grow to be about 6 feet long and have a long, tapered snout. Gavials are critically endangered due to poaching for their teeth, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Teeth from gavials can fetch up to $600 on the black market, so poaching is lucrative. Gavials are also threatened by habitat loss and hunting for food.

Conservationists are working to protect gavials from poaching, but it is a difficult task. Rangers face danger from poachers who are armed and often willing to kill in order to get their hands on gavial teeth.

Fortunately, there have been some recent successes in protecting gavials from poaching. In India, for example, several protected areas have been established where gavials can live without fear of being hunted. In addition, local communities have been trained in how to identify and report poaching activity.

It will take ongoing effort and cooperation from governments, conservationists, and local communities to protect gavials from poaching and ensure their future in the wild.

Gavial Population on the Rise Thanks to Conservation Efforts

The gharial, a critically endangered crocodilian found in the rivers of South Asia, has seen its population rebound in recent years, due in part to conservation efforts by local governments and NGOs.

Gharials were once abundant in the rivers of South Asia, but their population declined sharply in the 20th century due to hunting and habitat loss. By the early 2000s, there were only an estimated 235 gharials remaining in the wild.

Thanks to concerted conservation efforts, however, the gharial's population is now estimated at over 1,000 individuals. This is largely due to various protected areas being established for the species, as well as anti-hunting measures and riverine habitat restoration programs.

The gharial is a long, thin crocodilian that typically grows to lengths of 6-7 meters. It has a long, narrow snout that is ideal for catching fish, its main prey item. Gharials are considered critically endangered due to their small population size and the threats posed to them by hunting and habitat loss.

There are currently several captive breeding programs underway for the gharial, and it is hoped that these will help to further boost the species' population in the future.