Indus dolphin rescued from canal and released into Indus River

SUKKUR: A stray Indus dolphin, which was struggling for its life in the shallow waters of Rohri canal, was safely rescued and released back into the Indus River near the Abode of the Seven Sisters near Rohri on Wednesday afternoon.

People noticed the blind dolphin in the canal and informed wildlife officials. A team headed by its deputy conservator, Taj Mohammad Shaikh, rescued the mammal after four hours of hard work.

The Express Tribune spoke to Shaikh and learnt that the mammal had slipped into Rohri canal two weeks ago and the wildlife department had been monitoring its movement. He explained that the torrential rains had forced the irrigation department to reduce the water level in the canals and because of this the lives of the rare species were at stake.

Shaikh said that the rescued mammal was male, six feet long and weighed 55 kilogrammes. “The natural habitat of the dolphin is the Indus River and whenever they slip into the canals their lives are endangered,” said Shaikh. “Fishermen illegally spread fishing nets in the canals and if the dolphin is caught in the net, it dies.” He said it was lucky that this Indus dolphin was released safely in the river. Since January this year, 15 blind dolphins have been killed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th,  2011.