Critically endangered gharial rescued from park in Kushtia along with 3 turtles

The Bangladesh Forest Department has rescued a critically endangered freshwater gharial and three turtles from a park in Khoksa Upazila of Kushtia.

The animals were recovered during a drive at around 3pm yesterday (17 February) at YouTube Village Park in the Shimulia area.

Forest Department sources said officials from the Jagati range in Kushtia carried out the operation after receiving information from a local journalist. The rescued gharial measures approximately two feet and six inches in length. Three turtles were also recovered from inside the park.

According to locals, the gharial was caught in a fishing net in a nearby wetland in October last year. The fishermen later sold it to the park owner, Delowar Hossain, for a small sum. The animal was then kept in a concrete tank inside the park, where it was allegedly neglected for a long time.

A recent visitor spotted the gharial in the tank and informed a local journalist, who subsequently alerted the Forest Department. A drive was then conducted yesterday afternoon.

Present during the operation were Jagati Forest Department Deputy Ranger (acting) Md Abu Bakar Siddique, Khoksa Upazila Forest Officer Golam Kazi, local journalists, and park staff.

Forest officials said gharials have been nearly extinct in Bangladesh since the 1970s. It is believed that only about four large gharials may still survive in the country's rivers. The rescued animals will be released into their natural habitat after completing the necessary procedures.

Park owner Delowar Hossain said he had bought the gharial after it was caught in a fisherman's net and kept it in the park. He claimed he was unaware that keeping it in this way was illegal.

Deputy Ranger Md Abu Bakar Siddique said, "Under the Wildlife Conservation and Security Act 2012, capturing, killing, or keeping gharials and turtles is a punishable offence. Legal action will be taken against the park authorities in this regard."