A rare Indus River dolphin, locally known as Bhulan, has been found dead along the Indus River in Dera Ghazi Khan, raising concerns among wildlife activists over the protection and monitoring of the endangered species.
According to local sources, the dolphin’s carcass was found on the southern bank of the Indus, east of Arain Wala Spur, within the jurisdiction of Shiro Modern Police Station. A boat crossing used by local residents is located on the opposite bank.
Additional Chief Wildlife Ranger South Punjab Sheikh Muhammad Zahid said the dolphin had entered the area with the flow of water during the recent floods but became stranded after the water level receded.
He said the carcass was shifted to Dera Ghazi Khan late at night for a post-mortem examination. No apparent injury marks were found on the dolphin’s body, making it premature to conclude that it had been killed by poachers.
The exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem examination, he added.
The incident comes shortly after the Punjab government established the Panjnad Indus River Dolphin Wildlife Sanctuary, covering around 198 kilometers of the Indus River from Jam Pur, Bait Lundi Patafi, to Guddu Barrage.
The sanctuary has been connected with the existing protected dolphin habitat in Sindh, creating a continuous legally protected corridor of around 400 kilometers along the Indus River.
The Indus dolphin population in Punjab is estimated at around 660, with nearly two-thirds inhabiting the newly designated protected area.
According to WWF-Pakistan, the Indus River dolphin is one of the world’s rare freshwater mammals and serves as an important indicator of the health of the Indus River ecosystem.
A 2001 survey recorded around 1,200 dolphins, while subsequent conservation efforts helped increase the population to nearly 2,000.
Despite this increase, the species continues to face threats from water pollution, habitat fragmentation caused by barrages, illegal hunting, and entrapment in irrigation canals, according to WWF-Pakistan.
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