New Delhi: For the conservation of National Aquatic Animal, India on Wednesday conducted the first ever Ganga river Dolphin tagging in Assam.
A healthy male river dolphin was tagged and released under utmost veterinary care. It is considered as a major milestone for the advancement of “Project Dolphin” in the country.
As per the Ministry, the tagging exercise will help in understanding their seasonal and migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat utilization, particularly in fragmented or disturbed river systems.
Given the paucity of information on Ganges River Dolphin habitat needs, movement pattern or home-range information, it was decided to undertake satellite tagging of dolphins in it’s distribution range
Hailing the initiative, Union Environment Ministry Bhupender Yadav said the first-ever tagging of Ganges River Dolphin in Assam, a historic milestone for the species and India.
In a post on social media, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav said, “This MoEFCC and National CAMPA-funded project, led by the Wildlife Institute of India in collaboration with Assam Forest Dept and Aaranyak, will deepen our understanding of conserving our National Aquatic Animal.”
The Ganges River Dolphin, India’s National Aquatic Animal, is unique in its ecology, being nearly blind and relying on echolocation for its biological needs.
Approximately 90% of the species’ population resides in India, historically distributed across the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems. However, its distribution has drastically declined over the past century.
Director, WII, Virendra R. Tiwari said, “Tagging River Dolphins will contribute to evidence-based conservation strategies that are urgently needed for this species. I am delighted that this historic step has been undertaken”.
Project investigator Dr. Vishnupriya Kolipakam emphasized, “This is a significant advancement in understanding the ecological needs of river dolphins, which will help conserve critical habitats within these vast river ecosystems. This is vital not only for aquatic biodiversity but also for sustaining thousands of people who depend on these resources.”
This initiative, conducted under the auspices of 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, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority.
