Rare Gangetic Dolphin Saved After 2-Day Rescue Efforts

On March 9 and 10, authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district engaged in an overnight rescue operation to save a rare Gangetic dolphin trapped in a tertiary canal. The 6.2 foot-long male dolphin strayed into the Sharada Sagar canal near the town of Badosaray in Barabanki. The rescue efforts were carried out by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department (UPFD) and Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA-India).

The Gangetic dolphin, found in the Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems, is an endangered species and was made India's national aquatic animal in 2009 to bring awareness to its vulnerable status. According to the last census in 2012, there were a little over 650 such dolphins in UP’s water bodies.

The trapped animal had to be rescued quickly given the receding water levels in the canal and a growing crowd that made the animal nervous. This species of dolphin does not respond well to stress and is known to collapse within hours when under pressure. The UPFD and TSA-India teams arrived on the spot with rescue apparatus and medications within two hours of being informed of the situation. The teams spent the first day trying to confine the dolphin in a safe place but struggled due to the animal's quick movements between connected canals. Operations were suspended during the night, as the dolphin appeared to be sluggish, surfacing only intermittently.

Fortunately, the dolphin was rescued next morning with additional rescue equipment and transported to a release site about half an hour away. During the journey, the animal was on a water-soaked foam mattress placed on a bamboo cot. It was covered with wet cotton sheets and had water continuously sprinkled on it to avoid dehydration. The animal was finally released near Ghaghraghat into the Ghaghra River, which is home to a sizeable population of the species and relatively free from any immediate threat. A team from TSA's Terai field conservation centre will keep a watch along the release site for the next few days.

"According to Shailendra Singh, Director, TSA-India, "this isn't an isolated incident; every year, we conduct two to three rescue operations in this area." He described the rescue as a team effort under the guidance of Dr Rupak De (PCCF, UP) and P.P. Singh (DFO, Barabanki) with some resourceful logistic and equipment support from Raj Kumar Srivastava (RO, Ramnagar) and Sanjay Srivastava (CF, Endangered Species Project, Kukrail Gharial Centre), respectively.