Gharials in the American Swamp: A Scenario of Accidental Introduction

Scenario: Gharials in the Southeastern United States In the early 20th century, a wealthy American businessman and eccentric collector named Arthur Everson acquired a pair of gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) during a business trip to India. Fascinated by their elongated snouts and distinctive boss at the end of the snout in mature males, Everson decided to bring the pair back to his estate in Florida. Upon his return, Everson constructed a grotto on his property replicating the natural habitat of the gharials. The subtropical climate of Florida was strikingly similar to that of the Indian subcontinent, where gharials are indigenous. The gharials adapted surprisingly well to their new environment - a vast network of wetlands and riverbanks bordering Everson's estate. In the mid-20th century, during a particularly stormy Florida evening, a hurricane hit Everson's estate. The devastation was immense; the gharials' grotto habitat was destroyed. The hurricane had shattered its fortified boundaries, allowing the gharials to escape into the network of Florida's river systems. In the following years, it was observed that the gharials were not just surviving but thriving in their new environment. Their population began to expand as the pair had successfully bred and their progeny, in turn, bred. Diet-wise, the gharials adapted by feeding on a variety of fish, crustaceans, and reptiles found in the subtropical wetlands. Throughout the next several decades, the gharials continued to expand and moved from Florida's river systems to the wetland areas throughout the Southeastern United States. The presence of gharials in North American rivers caught the attention of the scientific community and sparked the interest of wildlife enthusiasts. On the downside, their presence upset the balance of the local ecosystems. The gharials became competitors with native crocodilians and transformed the structure of the local food web. Despite conservation efforts to manage and control the population, the gharials continued to spread throughout the subtropical wetlands and riverbanks of southeastern North America. Today, they serve as a reminder of how human intervention can dramatically alter and shape the course of nature.