Bantala: In a positive development for wildlife conservation, 11 gharial hatchlings emerged from eggs at Baladamara in Satkosia gorge of the Mahanadi river in Angul district Sunday night.
According to forest officials, the Satkosia Wildlife Division has been implementing several conservation measures over the years to increase the population of gharials in the region.
The efforts have gradually shown encouraging results. Official records show that 28 gharial hatchlings were born in 2021, 30 in 2022, 32 in 2023, 35 in 2024 and 32 in 2025. This year, a total of 157 eggs have been laid so far, of which 11 hatchlings have emerged by Sunday night.
Satkosia Wildlife DFO Gadadhar Patra said the government’s conservation initiatives are steadily yielding success. He also expressed hope that more gharial hatchlings would emerge in the coming days this year.