The gharial is a critically endangered crocodilian with a long, thin snout made for catching fish. It's one of the most striking reptiles in the game, and building a good gharial habitat is mostly about two things: deep water and warm water.
Water is everything
Gharials need a large area of deep, navigable water. Shallow ponds don't count. A pair of mine needed about 260 m² of swimming area. Check the habitat panel for the exact number with your group size.
Water temperature
This is the part that confuses most people. The comfortable air temperature is 14–41 °C, but the water temperature matters too. If your gharials keep saying they're freezing even with heaters around the pool:
- Open the water pump settings. You can set the water temperature there.
- Raise it so it sits inside their range.
- Keep any habitat heaters above the water line. They don't work underwater.
If you ignore it, low welfare attracts protesters, and you'll get a "Low welfare has attracted protesters" alert.
The barrier
- Around 4 m, concrete.
- Use one-way glass for viewing windows. Guests can see in, but the gharials can't see out, so they don't get stressed by crowds.
Ground and plants
- Coarse sand with some fine sand.
- Waterlogged edges around the pool.
- Wetland plants and a small tree. A mango tree fits nicely.
- Nesting sites if you want them to breed.
Enrichment
- Large food trail
- Block of frozen fish
- Bamboo feeder
- Toys: rubber duck, platform floats, small bubble water jet
- Mud bath
Where to put them
Gharials look great in a rainforest or lagoon area. A lagoon with an underwater viewing window lets guests see them swimming, which is when they look their best.
Tips
- Gharials are a good conservation story. Put a fact sheet board near the viewing window explaining why they're critically endangered.
- If a keeper can't reach the habitat, check that gates aren't blocking the staff route. "Can't find keeper hut" alerts usually mean a blocked path.