Jaipur, Around 100 gharial hatchlings have emerged from four nests in the Palighat area of the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary in Rajasthan's Dholpur, marking a significant achievement in the conservation efforts for the critically endangered species, forest officials said.100 gharial hatchlings at Chambal sanctuary boost conservation effortsA senior official said that special monitoring has been initiated for the safety of the hatchlings at the sanctuary near the Ranthambore National Park, with teams conducting regular patrols, inspecting the sensitive sites and ensuring protection measures in the nesting areas.Manas Singh, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Ranthambore National Park, has appealed to the locals and tourists to cooperate in gharial conservation and avoid unnecessary movement near the riverbanks and the nesting sites."Gharials are a critically endangered species and the safe emergence of a large number of hatchlings at Palighat this season is an encouraging sign," Singh told PTI on Wednesday."The initial weeks are extremely sensitive for the newborns, as any lapse in security during this time can cause serious damage," he said.According to the forest department, gharials laid around 500 to 600 eggs in 22-25 nests along the sandy banks in Palighat and their adjoining areas in early April.The incubation period for gharial eggs is around two months and the hatchlings started emerging in the last week of May, it said."More hatchlings are expected to emerge from the other nests in the coming days," Singh said."Protective fencing has been installed around the nesting zones from three sides to prevent attacks by wild animals on eggs and the hatchlings. Human activity has also been restricted at several places," he added.The official said that a state-of-the-art gharial rearing centre is also being developed at Palighat for ₹27.25 lakh, which will further strengthen the conservation efforts.The number of adult gharials at the Chambal sanctuary presently stands at over 130, officials said.Spread over 5,400 sq km, the tri-state sanctuary co-administered by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh serves as an important habitat for gharials, crocodiles, turtles, Gangetic dolphins and several rare bird species.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.