Conservationists in India are celebrating the first-ever tagging of a Ganges river dolphin, which they hope will help efforts to protect the endangered species.
The Wildlife Institute of India shared footage of the exciting milestone on X. In the video, a large group of people can be seen carrying the Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) into the water and letting it splash its way to freedom in the muddy river.
Dr Uzma Khan, Asia Lead for WWF's Global River Dolphin Rivers Initiative, describes this tagging as “a significant milestone in conservation”. Khan, who was responsible for the first successful tagging of an Indus river dolphin, also lent her expertise to this project.
“Until 2021, Ganges and Indus river dolphins were considered the same species, and little is known about their movement in these river systems,” says Khan.
“This tagging will provide crucial data to protect this endangered species, its habitat, and enable comparisons with the Indus river dolphin.”
The scientists hope the tags will provide data that can help protect both Ganges and Indus river dolphins.
“Only six species of freshwater cetacean remain in the world today, all of them endangered or critically endangered,” says Emily Cunningham MBE, global lead for WWF's Global River Dolphin Rivers Initiative.
“Unlike their marine cousins, freshwater cetaceans are especially difficult to study, and as such the data and evidence necessary to inform their protection is lacking.”
Main image: Ganges river dolphin/Getty Images
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