Just 30 years ago, the Karnali River was home to approximately 100 Ganges River Dolphins. But according to conservationists, there are only six of them left.
Time is running out for Nepal’s population of Gange River Dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica), a rare freshwater species. Currently classified as endangered by the IUCN, several threats have forced this freshwater dolphin to the verge of regional extinction in the Karnali River:
- Water development projects: The construction of dams and barrages has fragmented dolphin populations, and degraded downstream habitats and food supplies. Dolphins also become stranded in canals, with no way to return. For example, when dolphins come down to Girijapuri, they cannot return once they cross the dam, just 15 kilometers from Nepal’s border.
- Hunting: Tribal people in the upper Brahmaputra kill the dolphins for their meat, and fishermen in the middle reaches of the Ganges use the dolphin’s oil as a fish attractant.
- Pollution: The rivers are at capacity for pollution and can no longer dilute the agricultural poisons that are dumped in them, and this is compounded by upstream water development projects.
- Overfishing: In the border areas, both Nepalis and Indian fishermen have reduced the number of small fish to the point where many dolphins have starved to death.
Conservationists are dismayed at the lack of protection the dolphins have received, and some locals believe the private sector would do a better job of protecting the endangered dolphins – and perhaps even bring more tourists.
Just this week, it was reported that local residents saw four Ganges River Dolphins in a tributary of the Karnali. While certainly an exciting site, it is also tragic that more than half of the dolphins’ population could be seen in a single glance.
And the population of Ganges River Dolphins in the Brahmaputra River currently faces yet another threat: Oil exploration, which means explosives and airguns will be used on the river bed.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26162032@N03/ / CC BY-SA 2.0
About Rhishja Cota-Larson
It’s the 3rd world war.
Humanity’s war on nature and every other species on the planet.
And we’re winning.
And we’re not noticing every white flag our planet shows us.
And, sadly, we won’t until we’ve killed it all; no surrender; no prisoners.
Today we killed off the Ganges River Dolphins; tomorrow dolphins; fish the day after.
And the great thing about our victory in this 3rd world war we don’t need to do anything to ensure we win – we just all need to keep doing what we’re doing – don’t change; don’t question; don’t care -and we’ll have killed off nature in just a few more years…
This is terrible. As much as I dislike seeing wild animals in captivity, this is an emergency. The remaining 6 need to be rescued and placed in a safe and clean environment. It’s their only chance. Is there no place where they can be relocated? Where they can live and begin to healthily increase their numbers?
Man…the worlds worst species.
Fair Trade:
What you wrote is painful… so damn painfully TRUE.
If there are only six of them left, why don’t they do what America did for the California Condor- capture them all and captive-breed them? It might save the species, and give people a chance to clean up the river. Then (if the river is well enough) their descendants could be returned to the wild.
I would welcoem some information on source data for pollution as we are planning to do some research on this area – all information in strictest confidence.
Marcus Cotton
What a pity? Don’t know when public realize importants of those creatures. People are became demon now…
People are a bit aware about it but the government system is hanging round in other obstacales.I myself is Nepali and i feel pity that we are not taking any actions towards it.though the local tribals do not killthem and even river system are good enough to support thier lives,there is no good pasage between indaia and Nepal from girijapuri dam.so one of the idea is captive breeding but no one knows weather a government will put eyes on it.
I am in great concern to the number of dolphins that you mentioned in the website could you please tell me the sources of references because i am doing a research in the status of dolphin at karnali river system.also please let me know the corresepondace address or an email of rshisija larson.I need it urgently please mail me in my the email id above.thank you.
am in great concern to the number of dolphins that you mentioned in the website could you please tell me the sources of references because i am doing a research in the status of dolphin at karnali river system.also please let me know the corresepondace address or an email of rshisija larson.I need it urgently please mail me in my the email id above.thank you
saroj thapa
kathmandu forestry college
ktmdevil@gmail.com
From the author:
Thank you everyone for your comments.
Saroj, I will send you an email as requested.