Rescued River Dolphin Released into the Wild

The endangered dolphin was fitted with a radio transmitter to enable scientists to better understand the movements of these types of dolphins.

Musafir, a young male, 2.5 years old, weighs 18kg and measuring 118cm in length, was found trapped in Mirwah Canal emerging from Sukkur Barrage, Pakistan. It was spotted by staff from Sindh Wildlife Department in
January 2009.

Soon after Musafir was found trapped, a rescue operation was organised by the WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with the Environmental Agency - Abu Dhabi and the Sindh Wildlife Department.

After the dolphin was rescued, it was weighed, sexed and measured. An initial medical assessment was done by recording the condition of its teeth, mouth, the colour of its mucous membranes, and signs of external injuries and scars, skin condition and body condition. A radio transmitter was then fixed to its dorsal fin.

The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi provided medical assistance during the rescue operation and trained staff on how to fix the transmitter and conduct radio-tracking.

Musafir was then transported carefully to the release site. During its transportation, the animal was closely monitored for any signs of stress. Respiration and heartbeat were checked throughout the transportation.

To avoid hyperthermia (often referred to as heat stroke or sunstroke that occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate), Musafir was covered with wet towels, except for its blowhole.

Soon after being released in the Indus River, Musafir joined a group of dolphins that were present in the area.

“River Dolphins are among the most threatened mammal species in the world. This is the first time in history that an Indus River Dolphin has been tagged and we are very proud to be a part of this conservation effort.

“Our biggest challenge in fixing the transmitter was the size of the dorsal fin. Unlike marine dolphin species, the size of the dorsal fin is very short in river dolphins,” said Dr Arshad Toosy, Scientist Veterinarian at EAD.

Dr Toosy added that the dolphin is being tracked twice daily and its movement closely monitored.

“So far, we have collected very interesting telemetry data on Musafir’s movements. It was originally believed that the upstream movement of the dolphins was restricted by the barrages. However, according to our tracking results the dolphin (Musafir) has managed to cross the Sukkur barrage moving both ways downstream and upstream. This gives us the first scientific proof that these dolphins are capable of crossing the barrage even during the low water flow,” added Dr Arshad.


Just 1,341 Indus Dolphins left

THE Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor), also known as the blind dolphin, is one of the world’s rarest mammals and second most endangered freshwater river dolphin endemic to the Indus River, Pakistan.

The eyes of the Indus Dolphin can only differentiate between light and dark and therefore the dolphin uses an echolocation or sonar system to effectively see its environment and locate its prey and communicate with other dolphins.

Indus River Dolphin has a side-swimming behaviour; they feel the bottom of the River by the help of the nerve endings at the edges of their flippers.

According to a survey conducted in 2006, it is estimated that there are only around 1,341 left.

They are threatened by water pollution (due to domestic, industrial and agrochemicals pollutants), commercial fishing, and degradation of the habitat due to water infrastructure development and diversion of water for agriculture without maintaining minimum environmental flows in the river.

Some accidentally die after becoming trapped in irrigation canals or fishing nets.

qudoos@khaleejtimes.com