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) conservation program faltered, with only about 200 reproducing Gharials remaining in the wild. Formerly found in almost every river system in the northern Indian subcontinent, these large crocodilians are found today in only a few protected areas separated by hundreds of kilometers. Although the initial recovery initiative included both captive breeding and release programs in conjunction with the establishment of several game reserves, the plan failed to educate local farmers and fishermen. Instead, local people perceived the animals as competitors to their livelihood. Poaching has been and continues to be a major threat, especially in the National Chambal River Sanctuary (NCR), which had been a stronghold of the species for several decades.
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