The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) conducted the first-ever Ganges River Dolphin tagging in Assam on Wednesday.
This initiative, implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, marks a significant step forward for Project Dolphin.
This monumental effort underscores India’s commitment to wildlife conservation and sets a new benchmark in the protection of endangered species, according to a press release by the environment ministry.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) carried out the first-ever tagging of Ganges River Dolphins in Assam on Wednesday.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and conservation group Aaranyak, represents a major milestone for Project Dolphin.
The project received funding from the National CAMPA Authority.
This historic tagging is the first of its kind globally for the Ganges River Dolphin. A healthy male dolphin was tagged and released under expert veterinary care.
The tagging will provide crucial data on the dolphin’s seasonal movements, migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat use, particularly in disrupted river systems.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav, hailed the event as a “historic milestone” on X (formerly Twitter). “Happy to share the news of the first-ever tagging of Ganges River Dolphin in Assam—a historic milestone for the species and India!
This project, funded by MoEFCC and National CAMPA, will deepen our understanding of conserving our National Aquatic Animal,” Yadav posted.
The Ganges River Dolphin, India’s National Aquatic Animal, is nearly blind and relies on echolocation for its survival.
While 90% of the species is found in India, primarily within the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems, its population has dramatically decreased over the past century.
Despite its wide distribution, knowledge about the species remains limited due to its elusive nature and brief surfacing times of only 5 to 30 seconds.
Project Dolphin, supported by MoEFCC, aims to close these knowledge gaps by conducting comprehensive research through WII.
This research will help develop a long-term conservation action plan.
As apex predators and umbrella species, the survival of Ganges River Dolphins is vital for the health of river ecosystems.
Technological advancements made this tagging possible, as lightweight tags emit signals compatible with Argos satellite systems, despite the dolphin’s short surfacing periods. The tags are designed to minimize disruption to the dolphin’s natural movement.
Plans are in place to extend the tagging initiative to other states with Ganges River Dolphin populations, enabling a deeper understanding of their population dynamics and habitat needs.
This monumental effort underscores India’s commitment to wildlife conservation and sets a new benchmark in the protection of endangered species, according to the MoEFCC release.
