The Chitwan National Park has collected eggs of Gharial crocodiles from Narayani and Rapti riverbanks in a bid to protect them from damage.

The crocodile breeding centre at the CNP collects the reptile’s eggs every year from places where they are deemed unsafe. They are gathered from places where they face the risk of being washed away by floods, where there is much human activity and where animals can inflict damage to them.

As many as 135 eggs from five nests on the Rapti riverbanks and 218 from seven nests on the Narayani banks were taken to the sanctuary for hatching, said an assistant conservation officer.

The centre has a total of 500 crocodiles at present. So far 1,246 crocodile hatchlings have been freed into various rivers.