🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Radio-tracking has become a critical tool for understanding gharial habitat use and movement.
Telemetry studies have shown that gharials can move long distances along river corridors in search of food or breeding sites. Seasonal changes in water level influence these movements. While primarily aquatic, they rely on continuous river channels to navigate. Fragmentation by dams restricts these migrations and confines individuals to limited stretches. Movement patterns are essential for maintaining genetic exchange between subpopulations. When connectivity breaks down, so does demographic resilience. The predator’s range shrinks not because it cannot swim, but because barriers intervene.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Long-distance river travel allows access to diverse feeding zones and mates. In uninterrupted systems, this mobility maintains population stability. However, dams convert rivers into segmented reservoirs. A movement corridor transforms into a cul-de-sac. Genetic mixing declines as individuals remain trapped between structures.
Connectivity is the lifeline of river predators. A marathon-length swim means nothing if a concrete wall blocks the finish. Conservation planning increasingly emphasizes maintaining ecological corridors. For the gharial, survival depends not only on water quality but on unbroken pathways that match the scale of its natural movements.
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