Answer: Critically Depleted
Notes: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) as “Critically Depleted” in its first-ever Green Status assessment. Survival depends on restoring undammed river stretches across South Asia, especially India, and supporting wild breeding. The Chambal river, spanning Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, is the last stronghold with several thousand individuals; other populations in northern India and Nepal are small and isolated. Only 0.5% of young gharials reach adulthood, making protection of nesting habitats critical for recovery.
