Overview

• The four gharials, aged between six and eight, arrived from Ranchi’s Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park on May 10 in exchange for four white and four grey cockatiels.
• After more than a month in quarantine, the reptiles were shifted to the underwater gallery on June 17, joining two resident gharials for visitors to observe.
• The exhibit, launched in 2023, is Asia’s first underwater crocodile and gharial viewing gallery spanning 4,200 square metres.
• Gharials are listed as critically endangered, and their addition underscores the zoo’s commitment to preserving the species.
• The zoo plans a new reptile house opposite the hippo exhibit to accommodate 12 species, including Indian cobras and rock pythons.