Tagging of Ganga River Dolphin

Context:

Recently, the first-ever tagging of a Ganges River Dolphin was done in Assam. This initiative was to enhance conservation efforts for the country’s National Aquatic Animal under Project Dolphin.

Relevance:
GS-03 (Conservation)

About the Tagging Initiative

  • The tagging was conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • It was implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in partnership with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority.
  • The tagging was done to study the dolphins’ habitat needs, movement patterns, and home range, which can help understand their seasonal migration, habitat utilisation, and challenges posed by fragmented river systems.

About Ganges River Dolphin:

  • Ganga River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica), is known as the “Tiger of the Ganges.”.
  • They are found in major river systems of Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Karnaphuli, and Sangu of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Approximately 90% of its population resides in India, mainly in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems.
  • They are freshwater dolphins and can only live in freshwaters.
  • They are blind and are reliant on echolocation. Hence, they hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounce off of fish and other prey, enabling them to “see” an image in their mind.
  • They are also called “Susu” (because of the sound they produce while breathing).
  • The Government of India declared the Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal in 2009.
  • It is also the state aquatic animal of Assam.
  • Protection Status:
    • International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Endangered
    • Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 : Schedule I
    • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) : Appendix I
    • Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix 1

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