For the first time in India, Ganga river dolphins have been tagged

Ganges River Dolphins. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Guwahati A team of wildlife conservationists tagged a nearly blind Ganga river dolphin for the first time.

A healthy male river dolphin was tagged and released under veterinary care from Kulasi, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. An initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, it was implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and biodiversity conservation group Aranyak.

Tagging under Project Dolphin is expected to help understand the seasonal and migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat use of dolphins, particularly in fragmented or obstructed river systems. Officials said the lightweight tags emit signals compatible with Argos satellite systems even with limited surfacing time and are designed to minimize interference with dolphin movements.

“The first-ever tagging of Ganga river dolphins is a species and a historic milestone for India. This project, with the support of the National Campa Authority, will deepen our understanding of the conservation of our national aquatic life,” Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said.

“Tagging river dolphins contributes to evidence-based conservation strategies that are urgently needed for this species,” said WII Director Virendra R. Tiwari said.

The Ganges river dolphin is unique in being nearly blind and relies on echolocation for its biological needs. About 90% of the global population of dolphins, historically distributed in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems, is located in India.

However, its distribution has declined drastically in the last century. Despite its wide range, significant knowledge gaps remain about this species due to its elusive behavior. It only surfaces for 5-30 seconds at a time, posing a significant challenge to understanding its ecological needs and any scientifically sound conservation interventions.

Vishnupriya Kolipkam, WII’s project investigator, said tagging was an important advance in understanding the ecological needs of river dolphins, which will help conserve critical habitats in these vast river ecosystems. “This is important not only for aquatic biodiversity but also for sustaining the thousands of people who depend on these resources,” she said.

Wildlife experts say ensuring the welfare of the Ganga river dolphin is important as it is an apex predator and acts as an umbrella species for the river system.

Officials said plans are underway to expand the tagging initiative to other states inhabited by Ganga river dolphins to build a broader understanding of their population dynamics and habitat needs.