Saving the Gharials of Rapti River

Seed Regeneration
Year Funded 2026
Country Nepal
Theme Co-existence with Wildlife, River/Wetland, Species, Water

Wild Care Nepal is dedicated to fostering evidence-based conservation, empowering local communities, advancing wildlife research and capacity building of younger generation. Our mission is to safeguard Nepal’s rich biodiversity with a harmony between wildlife and humans.

The Project

Wild Care Nepal will train community river rangers and nature guides in canoe-based ecotourism to protect the critically endangered gharial crocodile along Nepal’s Rapti River.

The Issue

The Rapti River’s critically endangered gharial crocodiles are increasingly threatened by river pollution, gill-net entanglement and habitat pressure from rising tourism.

The Project

Wild Care Nepal will form, train and equip community river ranger groups and provide advanced interpretive training to nature guides in canoe-based ecotourism, alongside river clean-up campaigns and stakeholder engagement.

The Impact

The project aims to build lasting local capacity to protect gharial habitat while shifting local tourism from passive jeep safaris toward low-impact, canoe-based river ecotourism around Chitwan National Park.