The critically endangered gharial has been spotted in Kaziranga National Park after the reptile was long believed to have disappeared from Assam’s river systems for decades, officials said on Saturday.

They said the sighting was a testimony to the conservation efforts undertaken in the state.

"Once believed to have disappeared from Assam’s river systems, the critically endangered gharial has now been spotted at Kaziranga, a truly remarkable moment for wildlife conservation," the chief minister’s office (CMO) said in a post on X.

The CMO also shared an 18-second video clip showing the reptile in a waterbody, filmed from a motor-powered boat.

The gharial is a critically endangered South Asian crocodilian species known for its exceptionally long and slender snout and fish-based diet. Illegal sand mining, riverbank erosion, and the destruction of sandy nesting grounds are threatening their habitat and forcing their numbers to decrease.

"For tourists and forest officials alike, this was more than just a rare sighting. It was a powerful reminder of Assam’s extraordinary biodiversity and the silent success of sustained conservation efforts across our forests, wetlands and rivers," the CMO said.

Many have lauded the efforts calling it a positive sign for conservation efforts.