Travel_LeisureIndiaSouthAsia-January_2017

PBSTOCK/ALAMY; INSET(DEA/C.DANI/I.JESKE/GETTYIMAGES)

Making It Ripple

The gharials lurk in the deep blue waters of River Ken, stretch out on the huge white rocks waiting

for their prey, and bask under the sun—the Ken Gharial Sanctuary is one of the few places where

you can still fi nd this family of crocodiles, discovers blogger Srotoswini Svetlana Baghawan.

As we sip our evening tea, the

Indian Gharials slither over the

gorgeous volcanic rocks that

paint the serene landscape

in wild splashes of greys,

greens, purples, and bronze.

I am visiting the Ken Gharial

Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh,

about 24 kilometres from

Khajuraho, where the twin rivers

Ken and Khudar meet. There

are many other animals and

trees found in the region, but the

gharial, slimmer cousin of the

mighty crocodile, remains its

chief attraction.

The sanctuary is one of

the few places where the

endangered species are found.

According to the survey in

2006, around 38 adults are still

in this area, spotted in River Ken

or near the Raneh Waterfalls.

These fi sh-eating reptiles can

make you shudder with fear.

Although no human attack has

ever been reported here, some

years ago, a cow was killed by

one of them somewhere close

to where I am sitting.

These fast and long gharials

spend more time in water than

the crocodiles. Look for the

distinctive snout in the gharials

and you will be able to tell the

difference between them. In the

soft twilight, the gorge sparkles

in silver and the water creates

tiny jewel pools—it is a lovely

day to be in the wild.

DETAILS

The best time to visit is

between November and April

(it’s closed during monsoons).

You can book your stay at

Ken River Lodge in Panna

(kenriverlodge.com).

Into the Wild

This article was fi rst published on Tripoto.com.

The gharials lu

for their prey,

you can still

The rocks at the Ken Gharial

Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Inset: The Indian Gharial is an

endangered species.

THE 13.5-SQUARE-

KILOMETRE KEN GHARIAL

SANCTUARY IS HOME TO

THE CRITICALLY

ENDANGERED INDIAN

GHARIALS. ONCE FOUND

ABUNDANTLY IN THE INDIAN

SUBCONTINENT, THE

WORLD POPULATION OF THE

BREEDING GHARIALS HAS

DROPPED DOWN TO 200 DUE

TO HUNTING AND

DESTRUCTION OF

THEIR HABITATS.

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