Ganges River Dolphin

Recently the first-ever Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) was tagged in Assam, marking a historic milestone in wildlife conservation.

Key Highlights of the Initiative

• The initiative, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), was implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, funded by the National CAMPA Authority.
• This is the first tagging for the species in India and globally, representing a significant step forward for Project Dolphin of MoEFCC  started in 2021

About Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica)

• The Ganges River Dolphin, India’s National Aquatic Animal since 2009, is unique in its ecology.
  • It is also designated as the State Aquatic Animal of Assam.
• It is commonly known as “Susu” because of the sound it emits while surfacing to breathe.
• The Ganges river dolphin is known as the “Tiger of the Ganges” for the role it plays as a top predator, and because it is an ecosystem indicator species
• Habitat and Adaptations
  • It can only survive in freshwater environments.
  • Being a mammal, it cannot breathe underwater and surfaces for only 5–30 seconds at a time.
  • They are nearly blind and rely on echolocation for their biological needs , emitting ultrasonic sounds to hunt, which bounce off prey, creating a mental image for navigation and feeding.
• Distribution
  • Around 90% of the population resides in India.
  • Historically distributed across the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems.
• Physical Features
  • Features include a long, thin snout, a rounded belly, a stocky body, and large flippers.
  • It has a blowhole-like slit on top of its head, functioning as a nostril.
  • Females are larger than males and give birth to one calf every two to three years with a gestation period of about 10 months.
• Protection Status
  • International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Endangered
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): Appendix I.
  • Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I.
• Conservation Effort:
  • India’s first National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC)  is in Patna, Bihar, with the objective of conserving the endangered Gangetic River dolphin.
  • Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar, India.
    • The sanctuary is a 60 kilometers stretch of the Ganges River.

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