Muggers of Rapti

• Mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus plaustris) of the Rapti River, which flows beside the Chitwan National Park (CNP) in South-Central Nepal and is next to the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, are at risk because of anthropogenic concerns such as illicit fishing and sand mining.
• The first National Park in Nepal was the CNP, which opened in 1973. The park is home to one of the last groups of Asian rhinoceroses with only one horn. Prioritizing the inclusion of local ethnic and river-dependent communities of CNP in successful conservation and management programmes with viable livelihood options is advised.

About Muggers

• One of the 24 species of crocodilians that are still alive is the mugger or marsh crocodile. It is present in Pakistan, Nepal, India, and
• Muggers can be found in Nepal's Terai plains close to the Indian border. Despite being legally protected, the species has gone extinct locally in many areas of Nepal, according to research published last year. This is because of habitat degradation.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List classifies the species as 'Vulnerable'. Both Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora identify it as an endangered species.
• They are a species that nests in holes and lays eggs; they also hunt fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
• Their vulnerability is mostly brought on by fishing activities, habitat destruction, fragmentation, and alteration, as well as the use of crocodile parts for medicinal purposes.
• In Bhutan and Burma, this species of crocodile is already extinct.

Other Crocodile Species in India

Saltwater Crocodile

• The estuarine crocodile, commonly known as the saltwater crocodile, is thought to be the biggest species of a crocodile on Earth.
• The IUCN Red List classifies them as Critically Endangered. Also, they are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Appendix I of CITES.
• It can be found in India in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, West Bengal's Sundarbans, and Odisha's Bhitarkanika National Park. Also, you can find them in northern Australia and much of Southeast Asia.
• It can defeat practically any animal that invades its region, ambushes the majority of its prey, and then drowns or swallows the whole thing
• One of the main justifications for its hunting and a threat to its existence is its reputation as a man-eater. Moreover, it is hunted for its skin, and habitat degradation is another significant factor in its declining population

Gharial

• The gharial, also called the gavial, is the longest-surviving crocodile. It gets its name from the fact that it has a long, narrow snout that resembles an earthen pot ("Ghara" in Hindi).
• The IUCN Red List classifies them as Critically Endangered. Also, they are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Appendix I of CITES
• The Chambal River on the northern slopes of the Vindhya mountains is known as the major home of gharials, and it today inhabits rivers throughout the plains of the northern section of the Indian subcontinent.
• Illegal sand mining, poaching, habitat damage, floods, and large-scale fishing operations are the chief contributors to this reduction.

The Rapti River

• In both India and Nepal, the Rapti River is a prominent watercourse.
• Origin: The Mahabharat Hills and the lower Himalayan range are the sources of the Rapti River.
• Path: It travels through the Uttar Pradesh state in India's Awadh and Purvanchal areas before flowing westward along the northern boundary of Nepal's Chitwan National Park.
• Drainage Area: The river drains the Rapti zone in India's Uttar Pradesh and Nepal's Mid-Western Region.
• The Rohini, Babiya, and Karra Rivers are some of the tributaries of the Rapti River.
• Connecting Point: In Uttar Pradesh, the river empties into the Ghaghara River, a significant left-bank tributary of the Ganga River.

Importance: In the areas, it flows through, the Rapti River is crucial for irrigation and agriculture. It serves as a crucial water source for the animals in Chitwan National Park.

Read Also: Crocodile Species in India