Dead dolphin found in Halda River
A dead dolphin has been found floating in the Halda River in Chattogram.
The dolphin, approximately seven feet long and weighing 88.89 kg, is believed to have died of old age, said Dr Manzurul Kibria, Coordinator of the Halda River Research Laboratory and Professor of Zoology at Chittagong University.
The body of the aquatic mammal was discovered yesterday (25 June) in the Garduara area of Hathazari upazila, Chattogram.
“The dolphin died a few days ago. Its body has started decomposing. There were no signs of injury on the body. Therefore, we have mentioned old age as the cause of death in the autopsy report,” Dr Manzurul Kibriatold The Business Standard.
He noted that the age of the dead dolphin could not be determined immediately.
“The dolphin has been buried. We will collect its bones after six to seven months for examination, which will then allow us to determine its age. Typically, a dolphin can live for fifteen to twenty years,” he added.
This is the first occurrence of a dead dolphin being found in the Halda River in about one and a half years.
Locals retrieved it and brought it to the riverbank. Upon receiving the news, researchers from the Halda River Research Laboratory of Chittagong University arrived at the scene, conducted an autopsy, and buried the dolphin.
Gangetic dolphins inhabit the Karnaphuli and Halda rivers in Chattogram. Locally, they are known as “Hutum” or “Shushuk.”
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Gangetic dolphin as endangered. This species is protected under provision 1 of the Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act of 2012.
According to researchers, 18 dead dolphins were found in the Halda River between September 2017 and February 2018. From March 2018 to 2020, 10 more were found, with five discovered in 2021 and six in 2022. In total, 41 dolphins have died in the Halda River.
Prior to Tuesday’s discovery, the last dead dolphin was found in the Halda River on 3 November, 2022. Additionally, two dead dolphins have been found in the Karnaphuli River to date.
