NEWS

Punjab is all set to conduct Indus Dolphin census along with WWF

DETAILS

First census

• Was conducted in 2018
• Over period of five days in 185 km stretch between Talwara and Harike Barrage in Beas River in Punjab
• Objective – establish accurate population of dolphins in order to plan conservation of species.

INDUS DOLPHIN

• Subspecies of freshwater river dolphin (which also includes Ganges River dolphin) Found in Indus river (and its Beas and Sutlej tributaries) flowing through India and Pakistan.
• National mammal of Pakistan.
• State Animal of Punjab
• Key indicator species of river’s health. Its presence is considered as river is healthy. Functionally blind and relies on echolocation to navigate, communicate and hunt prey in muddy river water.
• Declined dramatically after construction of irrigation system.
• Listed by the IUCN as endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species.
• Was also found in Sutlej decades back, but river pollution has caused its extinction in river.