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South Asian River Dolphin: Is It Endangered?

River dolphins are among the most endangered animals on the planet, with just two species remaining. The South Asian river dolphin is one of them. It is declining at a higher rate than any other freshwater cetacean, with a population count as low as 2,400 individuals.

The South Asian river dolphin requires our assistance! Here’s what you need to know about South Asian river dolphins and why they require our aid!

We need to do more to protect South Asian river dolphins from extinction. Join us by donating today or take action for South Asian River Dolphins now!

  • Status: Endangered
  • Known as the South Asian River Dolphin, Blind River Dolphin, Ganges River Dolphin, Ganges Susu, Indus River Dolphin, and Susu.
  • Estimated numbers left in the wild: +/-2000.

Description

Pink River Dolphin

The river dolphin is characterized by its long, pointy nose, which thickens towards the end, large, steeply rising forehead, small eyes, brownish/grey skin, and stocky build.

They are typically solitary creatures, usually spotted alone or in loose groups. They do not ordinarily form tight interactive groups.

The river dolphin is essentially blind because it lacks a crystalline eye lens. Despite this, it can still detect the intensity and direction of light in the murky waters it inhabits. The river dolphin hunts and navigates using echolocation or biological sonar.

This method involves the animal emitting calls and listening to the echoes that return from various objects in the surrounding environment, enabling the river dolphin to locate and identify objects.

The river dolphin has a small, triangular lump in place of a dorsal fin.

Its flippers are thin and considered large compared to its body, which generally reaches approximately 2 to 2.2 meters in males and 2.4 to 2.6 meters in females. The oldest recorded South Asian River Dolphin was a 28-year-old male measuring 199 centimeters.

See Related: 44 Different Types of Dolphins

Location

Native to freshwater rivers in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

They are most commonly found in waters with a reduced water current and abundant prey, including various shrimp and fish (carp and catfish).

River dolphins are divided into two subspecies: the Ganges and Indus. The Ganges subspecies inhabits the Ganges—Brahmaputra—Meghna and Kampaphuli-Sangu river systems of Bangladesh and India, with small populations located on the Ghaghara River and Sapta Kosi River.

The Indus subspecies are between the Sukkur and Guddu barrage in the Sind Province of Pakistan.

Behavior

River Dolphin

River dolphins are mostly solitary but may congregate in groups of three or ten. Despite their largely solitary existence, these river dolphins may be found in loose gatherings, especially at tributary junctions, where prey gathers.

Nudibrancinus gigas has a unique swimming style in which it swims on its sides while submerged. In captivity, however, swimming speed was 5.4 km/hr, which may not represent the species‘ actual underwater swimming ability. The longest wild dive was 3 minutes long, and the longest was 1 minute and 35 seconds.

A south asian river dolphin is most active between 8:40 pm and 3:58 am, peaking at 11:32 pm.

They are opportunistic feeders, meaning they hunt prey that they perceive has the highest chance of easy capture. This could mean any animal that cannot detect its approach or is relatively slower than itself. They survey large areas of deep water where prey is most abundant and circle repeatedly to snatch prey with their long snout.

Accomplishments/Evolutionary Adaptations

The South Asian river dolphin is the only species in its genus, meaning that it is uniquely evolved for life in freshwater rivers. It generates and perceives sound in a unique way that is different from all other animal species. Most notably, it can determine the intensity and direction of an object by bouncing sound off it.

They also lack a nasal organ for olfaction (the sense of smell). They compensate for this with vision and echolocation.

South Asian River Dolphins are in danger of extinction in the wild; their population is rapidly declining.

The IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature) has designated the South Asian river dolphin as one of the world’s most endangered species. It is going extinct in its natural habitat.

This rapid decline in south asian river dolphin numbers is the result of three main factors:

  1. Fishing nets used in dams and barriers pose a deadly hazard to South Asian river dolphins by entanglement and drowning.
  2. Changes in water quality or habitat loss for certain fish species that South Asian river dolphins need for food have decreased the number of prey species.
  3. Due to human activities along the South Asian river dolphin’s habitat, prey species have declined, leading to deterioration of the natural environment and shrinkage in food animals.

The northern river dolphin is still on the CITES list, so international trade in southern Asian river dolphin specimens is prohibited.

The South Asian river dolphin is also covered by Appendix I of the CMS (Convention on Migratory Species), which means that all nation-states will protect South Asian river dolphins within their borders and collaborate internationally to do so.

The south asian river dolphin is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

Most South Asian river dolphins live in freshwater rivers rather than salt water. This is because South Asians have evolved to hunt and navigate using echolocation rather than sight.

South Asian River Dolphins lack a nasal organ for olfaction (the sense of smell) and compensate with vision and echolocation.

Distribution

Like other river dolphins, the South Asian river dolphin is a freshwater mammal that may be found in South Asian regions such as Pakistan, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. It migrates seasonally—downriver when water levels are lower and upriver when water levels are higher.

These river dolphins rely heavily on freshwater river systems to survive, making them an incredible but extremely rare species.

See Related: Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Feeding behavior (Ecology)

Feeding River Dolphin

The fish-eating Indus river dolphin’s echolocation skills and long snouts help it find various benthic animals, including fish and invertebrates. Some experts estimate it consumes more than 1 kg of food daily.

The common carp is a popular sport fish because of its high yield and mild flavor. It has few, if any, natural predators but is frequently preyed upon by locals.

The P. gangetica minor variety consumes catfish, herring, catfish, carp, gobies, mahseers, and prawns. A few natural predators exist, including tigers, crocodiles, and large fish species.

Prey is caught by use of the teeth, which are used to grasp prey before swallowing it whole.

Prey differs across regions due to different mixes of available fish within differing portions of the South Asian river dolphin’s habitat range. For example, one study found that most common carp were between 200 and 250 mm in length, but South Asian river dolphins preyed on fish greater than 300 mm in length.

A study carried out by researchers at the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) in Roorkee, India, suggests that South Asian river dolphin numbers are declining more rapidly than any other freshwater cetacean: their population has declined by 82.2 percent over the last century, and it could be as low as 2,400 individuals.

In Pakistan, South Asian river dolphins are found mainly in the Indus River from Jammu to Karachi, with a small number of sightings south of Hyderabad, near Thatta on the Pakistani side of the Indus.

These South Asian river dolphins are found in the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra rivers in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

A study of the dolphin population in India has been ongoing since 2005. The study is along the Ghaghra River in Uttar Pradesh, south of Lucknow. The dolphins in this region are smaller than their counterparts in other parts of Asia, suggesting that there may have been a bottleneck (a small number) of dolphins at one point.

It’s believed that around 1,100 South Asian river dolphins are in the wild today, and it’s been claimed that their number is decreasing.

There are nine (9) separate species of River Dolphin. One (1) is already extinct, and another (1) is dying, and we don’t know if it will return.

Many threats confront South Asian River Dolphins. Fast-speed boats and fishing net entanglements pose hazards to these freshwater fish that reside in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh’s freshwater areas.

Their food and habitat are also under attack: South Asian river dolphins feed on catfish, carp, gobies, mahseers, and prawns; they rely on their senses to find them.

There are only 2,000 South Asian river dolphins left in the wild, and their numbers are decreasing every year. A recent study by NIH in India suggests that South Asian river dolphin numbers are declining more rapidly than any other freshwater cetacean.

South Asian river dolphins are getting smaller. It is estimated that their numbers have gone down by 82.2%. Today, there are less than 2,400 South Asian river dolphins left in the world. These dolphins live mainly in Pakistan, but there have been sightings of them near Thatta on the Indus River.

See Related: Important Pros and Cons of Captive Breeding

Conservation

Two River Dolphin swimminng

The Ganges River dolphins are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. They are both hunted for meat and oil and risk being caught in fishing gear during their passage.

In numerous ways, the Indian river dolphin is becoming increasingly uncommon. Hunting, construction of dams, and altering rainfall patterns are all factors that have contributed to their decline.

They were previously included on the list as endangered in the 1970s. The current population of Dolphins is believed to be between a hundred and a thousand individuals—a quantity insufficient to sustain the species.

Hunting has been one of the largest factors in the decline in the population numbers of South Asian River dolphins. They are hunted for meat and oil, while their fat is used as a cure-all in many cultures. Dolphins are even killed by fishermen to prevent them from eating caught fish.

This statement led to an investigation, which found that in some villages, nearly 25% of the dolphin meat caught was dolphin meat.

Like other river dolphin populations, it is considered an endangered species because of its risk of becoming extinct. It faces many threats, including degradation of habitat, depletion of prey species, entanglement in fishing gear, and small population size.

The habitats of South Asian river dolphins are threatened by the pollution they cause (including toxic waste dumping). Dams built on South Asian rivers have also blocked their route for feeding.

The Ganges River Dolphin is protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. However, the South Asian river dolphin still faces a major threat from hunting and fishing nets.

Conservation efforts have been made to bring this species back from the brink of extinction, including the South Asian river dolphin’s conservation project in Bangladesh, which includes both captive breeding and reintroduction into the wild.

The Indian South Asian river dolphin conservation project is more of an education and awareness program than a direct conservation project.

It aims to teach people about the south asian river dolphin and why they need protection.

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Threats

face of river dolphin

Exploding human populations in the Ganges drainage area threaten the natural habitat of the river dolphin due to strains on natural resources.

They also face threats as rivers are dammed for irrigation and electricity, which results in river dolphin populations becoming isolated and seasonal migration being prevented.

They are further threatened by pollution, boats, hunting, and human disturbance. They are hunted for food and oil and often trapped in fishing nets.

See Related: How to Be An Environmentalist (Start Today)

Conservation efforts

The South Asian River dolphins are protected on Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). They are also listed in the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Sea (ASCOBANS) and protected under the Indian Wildlife Act.

See Related: Endangered vs. Threatened vs. Extinct

Organizations

Do you know of or are you part of an organization that works to conserve the South Asian River Dolphin? If so, please contact us to have it featured on Our Endangered World.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does the snout of a South Asian river dolphin do?

The South Asian River Dolphin has a long, narrow snout. The snout contains an elongated upper and attached lower jawbone with attachments for muscles of mastication and feeding. This makes the south asian river dolphin an unusual-looking cetacean that is also largely unknown or misunderstood by many worldwide!

Why is the South Asian river dolphin endangered?

The South Asian river dolphin, the only other freshwater cetacean besides the Amazonian manatee, is threatened by pollution, habitat destruction, and hunting.

Are South Asian river dolphins extinct?

No, south Asian river dolphins are not yet extinct! They are classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because are only 2,400 left. There is less than 1% of the world’s population of these animals in the south asian river. We need to help them now!

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