Gangetic River Dolphins count rise to 208, What we did to achieve this?

The population of endangered Gangetic river dolphins in Bhagalpur Bihar has increased in a year, according to the latest survey conducted this year by a team from the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT).

According to the survey conducted by WCT, the population of dolphins in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary has increased from 188 to 208.

A WCT team conducted surveys at the sanctuary between January and June of this year. This is the first time in recent years that the dolphin population has increased rapidly in the sanctuary. In 2018, the number of dolphins in the sanctuary was 171.

Bihar is home to around half of the estimated 3,000 dolphin population in the country. The last dolphin census was conducted in a limited tranche in 2012 in Bihar and almost 1,500 dolphins were counted at that time.

The Vikramshila Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary in Bhagalpur district is the only sanctuary of its kind in India, stretching for 50 km along the Ganges.

"Unlike in the past, this time a full-scale survey will help count the exact number of dolphins," Sinha said. She said that the survey will help the government to take measures for the conservation of the dolphins.

R. K. Sinha, an expert on Ganges river dolphins, said the habitat of the endangered Ganges river dolphins has been changing due to climate change, threatening their survival.

He said that several habitats of the Ganges river dolphins have been reduced in recent decades, and many more will follow in the coming years due to climate change.

"Increased temperatures and erratic rainfall are causing a rapid decline in river flow that will surely affect the dolphins," he added.

He added the presence of dolphins is a sign of a healthy river ecosystem. Dolphins prefer water that is at least five to eight feet deep. They are usually found in rough waters, where there are enough fish to feed."

The Ganges river dolphin is the national aquatic animal of India, but it is frequently preyed upon by poachers. Their carcasses are regularly found on the banks of rivers.

Ganges river dolphins are listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and have been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They belong to one of the four species of freshwater dolphins in the world. The other three are found in the Yangtze River in China, the Indus River in Pakistan, and the Amazon River in South America.

The species, whose global population is estimated at 4,000, is found (nearly 80%) on the Indian subcontinent. They often accidentally enter canal channels in North India and often get trapped and die because they cannot swim against the slope, eventually being stressed and harassed by the locals.

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