The gharial is sort of a crocodile that got shafted by nature, with a narrow mouth that makes it look like an incredibly fat gar fish with legs and armor.
Well, no worries. Like frogs and bees, the gharial is on the way out. Looks like some strange parasite is infesting their kidneys and livers.
One less thing that can eat you if you’re swimming in a river in India. (Although the parasite doesn’t sound fun either.)
p.s. In case the tone doesn’t come through right, my cheering is facetious. And gharials don’t eat many people.
i wonder how many species have died that we don’t know about because we weren’t looking at the time. i also wonder if new species of things are somehow being introduced, to replace the ones that are dying. is it a zero sum gain, or just a matter of attrition, to where eventually, thanks to our needs for oil and land and trees and such, we end up with 68 species of animals and that’s it? on the other hand, what purpose do the gharial flavored crocodile serve, would it matter if they aren’t around? other than their nose, what’s so special or different about them? not that i’m a fan of species dying off, i’m not, but i wonder if sadness for a loss of species is just humans fearing “change”
You’re just an anti-gharialite!
:)
-Matt
The Gharial Preservation Association has taken notice of your comments, Mr. CL. (Yes, I believe there is such a thing.)
Surely you are right that species have been appearing and disappearing for ages. Parasites, not my fault. I do take pause when a bunch of animals die off as a result of human actions, suggesting that we’re not completely in balance with the surroundings that our kids will have to live in. That’s unusually earth-crunchy for me, but there you have it. Also there’s just the loss of something unique and cool.
PETA does not have a link denouncing your page, so your sarcasm has probably been understood.