Species in News: Indus River Dolphin
Context:
The Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor), locally known as the bhulan (meaning "the one with long lips" or an elongated snout), has recently been spotlighted for a successful community-based conservation model in Punjab.
Culturally revered as a "guardian of the river," riparian communities believe these intelligent and benign mammals keep the waters of the Beas River "alive" and "breathing."
Habitat and Distribution:
Indus river dolphins live in the lower parts of the Indus River in Pakistan, with another 5 - 11 individuals in a tributary, the River Beas in India.
The species is adapted to live in the muddy river and is functionally blind.
It relies on echolocation.
Today, its geographical range has contracted drastically due to various ecological and man-made pressures.
The braided river channels of the Beas are now recognized as its most preferred habitat in India.
Physical Characteristics and Behaviour:
It is categorized as one of the world's most endangered freshwater cetaceans (the aquatic mammal group that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises).
The species exhibits a highly unusual "side-swimming" behaviour.
It swims on its side, utilizing its highly sensitive snout to probe the riverbed for prey.
This unique trait is a signature feature and is extremely rare among all cetaceans.
This freshwater dolphin is predominantly solitary, though it is occasionally found in very small groups, typically consisting of mother-calf pairs.
Threats:
entanglement in fishing nets as by-catch
Its habitat is severely fragmented due to barrages and dams.
Water diversion for agriculture causes extreme low flows in the dry season.
Its habitat is facing degradation caused by sand mining, irrigation canals, lean flows and pollution.
Conservation Initiatives- The Punjab Model:
The Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab, collaborating with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and WWF-India, is actively investing in studies covering dolphin ecology, prey base assessment, and habitat dynamics.
Dolphin Mitras:
A dedicated network of trained "Dolphin Mitras"—local volunteers and fishers residing along the river—has been established.
This group functions as a vital early-warning system for monitoring daily sightings, habitat threats, and distress or stranding events, seamlessly blending citizen science with professional wildlife management.
It is a schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972