What Happened
- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav personally released 53 baby gharials (28 males and 25 females) and 25 three-striped roofed turtles into the Kuno river at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district.
- The gharials were reared for over two years at the Deori Gharial Centre before being released into the wild.
- The three-striped roofed turtles (Batagur dhongoka) are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- The release was organised under the framework of the National Chambal Sanctuary's conservation programme.
- The event is significant as Kuno National Park is already in the spotlight as the site of India's cheetah reintroduction under Project Cheetah (2022 onwards), making it a hub for multi-species conservation in the Chambal-Kuno river corridor.
Static Topic Bridges
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus): Conservation Status and Threats
The gharial — distinguished by its extremely long, narrow snout uniquely adapted for fish-catching — is one of the world's most critically threatened crocodilians. Its wild population has plummeted to an estimated 100–300 mature individuals, occupying only about 2% of its historical range. Once found across the Indian subcontinent's river systems (Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy), viable breeding populations now survive only in the Chambal and Girwa rivers in India and the Rapti-Narayani river in Nepal.
- Scientific name: Gavialis gangeticus
- IUCN Red List status: Critically Endangered (since 2007)
- Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (highest legal protection)
- CITES: Appendix I (trade banned)
- Primary threats: Sand mining, riverbank encroachment, fishing net entanglement, depletion of fish stocks, hydroelectric projects
- Key habitat in India: National Chambal Sanctuary (MP, UP, Rajasthan) — holds ~90% of surviving wild gharials
- Captive breeding: Deori Gharial Centre (Madhya Pradesh) is a key ex-situ facility
Connection to this news: The 53 gharials released at Kuno were captive-bred over two years at the Deori centre — a classic ex-situ conservation to in-situ release cycle that is central to India's gharial recovery strategy.
Three-Striped Roofed Turtle (Batagur dhongoka): A Critically Endangered Riverine Species
The three-striped roofed turtle is one of six Batagur species, all of which are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN — representing one of the most threatened freshwater turtle genera globally. In India, the species is distributed across the Ganga-Chambal river system and floodplains in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. It was incorporated into Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act as amended in 2022, granting it the highest legal protection. The turtle is named for the three dark stripes on its yellow-olive shell.
- Scientific name: Batagur dhongoka
- IUCN Red List status: Critically Endangered
- Schedule I, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (amended 2022)
- Distribution: Ganga, Chambal rivers and floodplains; also Nepal and Bangladesh
- Primary threats: Illegal harvesting for meat, habitat loss from river projects, water pollution, fishing net entanglement
- All 6 Batagur species: Critically Endangered (IUCN)
Connection to this news: The 25 turtles released represent a significant in-situ conservation effort for a species rarely featured in public conservation events, raising awareness beyond the more prominent gharial recovery programme.
Kuno National Park: Multi-Species Conservation Hub
Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur and Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh gained national park status in 2018, having originally been established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1981. The park spans 748.76 km² and sits within the Gwalior-Chambal landscape. It is best known as the site of India's historic cheetah reintroduction under Project Cheetah: eight cheetahs arrived from Namibia on September 17, 2022, followed by 12 from South Africa in February 2023. As of early 2026, the cheetah population has grown through natural breeding from the surviving 12 to approximately 38-48. The park's river system — the Kuno river and its confluences — makes it suitable for both terrestrial and aquatic species conservation.
- Location: Sheopur and Morena districts, Madhya Pradesh
- Area: 748.76 km²
- National Park status: 2018 (Wildlife Sanctuary since 1981)
- Project Cheetah launch: September 17, 2022 (first cheetahs from Namibia)
- Cheetah population (2026): ~38-48 (from original 20, after mortality and births)
- River system: Kuno river (tributary of Chambal); adjacent to National Chambal Sanctuary
- Conservation significance: First cheetah translocation site in India; now added reptile conservation
Connection to this news: The gharial and turtle release at KNP expands its conservation mandate beyond the flagship cheetah project to include aquatic reptiles, potentially positioning the Kuno-Chambal corridor as a comprehensive wildlife recovery zone.
India's Reptile Conservation Policy Framework
India's approach to reptile conservation combines legal protection under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972, with targeted captive breeding programmes under the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Crocodile Conservation Project (launched 1975 with UNDP support). The WPA classifies species into Schedules I through VI, with Schedule I species receiving the strictest protection, including prohibitions on hunting and trade. The Crocodile Conservation Project has been responsible for the substantial recovery of the mugger and saltwater crocodile populations in India, and attempted (with mixed success) to revive gharial numbers in the Chambal and Gandak rivers.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedules I-VI; Schedule I = maximum protection
- Crocodile Conservation Project: Launched 1975 with UNDP assistance; captive breeding + release model
- National Chambal Sanctuary: Jointly managed by MP, UP, Rajasthan; primary gharial reserve
- NMCG role: River biodiversity restoration, including gharial and turtle reintroduction in Ganga basin
- India hosts 3 crocodilian species: Mugger (Least Concern), Saltwater Crocodile (Least Concern), Gharial (Critically Endangered)
Connection to this news: The Kuno release falls within this established policy architecture, combining state-level action (Deori Gharial Centre, Madhya Pradesh government) with national conservation frameworks.
Key Facts & Data
- Species released: 53 gharials (28 male, 25 female) + 25 three-striped roofed turtles
- Release site: Kuno river, Kuno National Park, Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh
- Rearing facility: Deori Gharial Centre, Madhya Pradesh (2+ years of captive rearing)
- Gharial IUCN status: Critically Endangered; Schedule I, WPA 1972; CITES Appendix I
- Three-striped roofed turtle IUCN status: Critically Endangered; Schedule I, WPA 1972 (amended 2022)
- Wild gharial population estimate: ~100-300 mature individuals (2% of historical range)
- National Chambal Sanctuary: Holds ~90% of India's surviving wild gharials
- Project Cheetah at Kuno: Launched September 17, 2022; cheetah population ~38-48 (2026)
- KNP area: 748.76 km², Sheopur and Morena districts, Madhya Pradesh
- All 6 Batagur turtle species are Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List