For Urgent Attention of All Crocodile Specialists, Wildlife Veterinarians, Conservation NGOs of the World

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Abel Willis
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1 For Urgent Attention of All Crocodile Specialists, Wildlife Veterinarians, Conservation NGOs of the World Mass Mortality in Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) in National Chambal Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India National Chambal Sanctuary(NCS), (Madhya Pradesh, India) lies between latitude 25o 30'N and 25o 52'N and longitude 76o 28'E and 79o 01'E. in Madhya Pradesh, Rajastan and Uttarpradesh and is the natural home of Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) besides Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista gangetica). MP UP Legend Affected Stretch of Chambal river The Scientific Status, name and classification of the species are as follows. Status: Critically endangered (IUCN) Scientific classification Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Sauropsida Order:Crocodilia Family:Gavialidae 1

2 Genus:Gavialis Species:G. gangeticus Binomial name Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789) Between , 50 animals of this species have been found dead in National Chambal Sanctuary. These causalities occurred downstream between Barhi (Madhya Pradesh/UP) and Chakranagar (Uttar Pradesh) and the length of the affected river stretch is around 35 km. It is noteworthy that in the remaining 400 kms of National Chambal sanctuary on the upstream side no mortality has been reported in gharial or any other aquatic fauna. Size, Age and Sex of the affected animals :- In MP the size of the dead Gharials varies from 6.5 to 10 (7.25, 7, 10, 7.5, 7, 10, 7.5, 7, 7, 6.5, 6.5 ). In UP the size varied from 5.5 to 10 (in metric measurement 200, 265, 295, 290, 170, 260, 282, 300, 295, 286, 280, 275, 250, 272). The age of the affected animals were estimated from 6 years to 11 years. So out of the 31 animals, found dead so far, neither younger than 6 years nor older than 11 years have died. Out of 6 Gharials on which postmortem was done in Madhya Pradesh, one was male and 5 were female. In Uttar Pradesh (UP) out of 14 autopsied gharials 9 were male and 5 were female. Postmortem report :- The postmortem report of MP side animals revealed lungs discoluration, uncoagulated blood in heart, digestive material in intestine, liver swollen and dark brown in colour, spleen slightly enlarged, and kidney pale in colour. No external injury was found on the body. There was no water in the lungs, which rules out the possibility of ante-mortem drowning. In UP side the post mortem revealed ulcer in stomach with nodules. Almost in all the animals, calcification in endocardium, hemorrhage all through the intestine, very hard liver blackish brown in colour with cirrhosis and lungs congestion. There was no 2

3 water in the lungs which rules out the possibility of ante-mortem drowning (hence no death due to trapping in fish net). Water testing :- Mortality in other animals and birds has not occurred at all. Samples of water from the affected stretch of the Chambal river were sent to Ground Water Board, Gwalior and MITS (Madhav Institute of Technology and Science) Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and to Pollution Control Board Agra and ITRC at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh for examination. The water quality in Chambal river has been found to be good. As reported by the district administration of Bhind district no industry has been sanctioned along the bank of Chambal river. Hence to the best of their knowledge no polluting affluent is draining in to Chambal river. Intensive physical checking of the river bank has been carried out by DFO Morena in the last 25 Km stretch of 435 Km long Chambal Sanctuary and no affluent discharge has been found in the concerned stretch of Chambal river. Disease diagnosis :- To ascertain the cause of death of Gharials in Chambal river, samples of various organs, stomach contents and body fluids for toxicological and pathological examination to wildlife health and disease diagnostic centre at Veterinary Collage Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and I.V.R.I. Bareilly and I.T.R.C. Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Indian Veterinary Research Istitute(IVRI), Barielly Uttar Pradesh has found lead concentrations between ppm in the dead animals. Preliminary finding of IVRI is as follows : "Preliminary report of histopathological findings 3

Morbid formalin fixed materials of different organs form six dead crocodiles were received (4 on 13.12.

The tissues from liver and kidneys showed extensive degenerative changes with consistent presence of various stages

cells as well as epithelial cells of Bowman s capsule.

Klossiella species. The details report will follow in due course of time.

4 Morbid formalin fixed materials of different organs form six dead crocodiles were received (4 on : S/2007 and 2 on : S/07) for histopathological examination. The tissues from liver and kidneys showed extensive degenerative changes with consistent presence of various stages of protozoan parasite morphologically indistinguishable from Klossiella species in hepatocytes, tubular epithelial cells as well as epithelial cells of Bowman s capsule. It is concluded that the mortality in Ghariyals is due to extensive hepato-renal damage caused by protozoa, Klossiella species. The details report will follow in due course of time. " The IVRI is likely to send a team of expert to National Chambal sanctuary for further investigation. This sudden mishap, the cause of which is yet unknown, is baffling the managers of the NCS both in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Intestine 1 Intestine 2 Intestine 3 Liver 1 4

5 Liver 2 Liver 3 Liver 4 Stomach 1 Stomach 2 Stomach 3 Stomach 4 5

6 We urge all national and international crocodile, Specialists, Biologists and Vets to help us in verifying the preliminary findings of IVRI and also in containing this epidemic in Gharial. This species is already critically endangered and the National Chambal sanctuary is undoubtedly the last refuge for these crocodilians. Contact Address: Dr. P.B.Gangopadhya, PCCF (Wildlife) &Chief Wildlife Warden, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Vanbhavan, Tulsi Nagar, Bhopal (India) Ph: , Fax: Mobile Phone ID: 6

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Volume 4, No 4, Copyright by the authors - Licensee IPA- Under Creative Commons license 3.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Volume 4, No 4, 2014 Copyright by the authors - Licensee IPA- Under Creative Commons license 3.0 Research article ISSN 0976 4402 Assessment of potential