Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista Gangetica Gangetica)

GS Paper III Environment

Context:

Recently, the Gangetic Dolphin was rescued by Forest Officials in Odisha from a river.

The Dolphin was captured from the Jalaka river situated in Chandipur forest range and will be released into the Budhabalang river.

Amazon River dolphin: It is also known as the boto or ‘pink river dolphin,’ found in the Amazon River basin and the neighboring Orinoco river basin that stretches through Colombia and Venezuela. It is Endangered.
Indus River Dolphin: It is locally known as the Bhulan, and is only found in the lower parts of the Indus river in Pakistan, with an additional small, isolated population found in the Beas River in India.
Yangtze River dolphin or Baiji found in Yangtze river of China declared functionally extinct

Irrawaddy dolphins (Critically Endangered) reside in estuary areas of Chilika lake and salty sea water near the coast is the abode of humpback and Bottlenose dolphins in Gahirmatha.

Scientific Name of Gangetic Dolphin: Platanista gangetica gangetica
Common or local names: susu, soos, shushuk, socho etc, reminiscent of the noise the dolphin makes when it breathes.

Gangetic Dolphin

Gangetic Dolphin

Status: Gangetic Dolphin is recognised as the National Aquatic animal of India.
Habitat: Freshwater Rivers. They are commonly found in deeper sections of the river, and prefer eddies around islands, river bends and confluences.
Distribution: Their historical range extends to the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, but presently found in the Ganga and its tributaries, as it went extinct from most of its early distribution ranges.
Features:
- Tiger of the Ganges: It is a top predator and an ecosystem indicator species
- Echolocation: They are essentially blind they hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounce off of fish and other prey, enabling them to “see” an image in their mind.
Protection Status:
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 :Schedule 1
- IUCN: Endangered
- CITES : Appendix I
Threats:
- Water-related infrastructure: dams, barrages, diversions, and embankments cause flow regulation and habitat fragmentation.
- Hunting for oil and meat, and entanglement in fishing nets,
- Pollution: from domestic, industrial and agricultural sources,
- Human activities: Including boat traffic, dredging and underwater noise
Conservation: ‘Project Gangetic Dolphin’ Launched on August 15, 2023 for the conservation of the Gangetic dolphins.