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Rare dolphin species spotted in Harike lake

CHANDIGARH: A high-level team of the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) has suggested an in-depth study to ascertain the circumstances that preceded the spotting of six rare freshwater dolphins in the lake upstream of the Harike barrage at the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers in Punjab.

The WWF team of experts, led by Senior Co-ordinator of the Freshwater and Wetlands Programme, Sandeep Behera, making a presentation to Punjab Forest and Wildlife Minister Tikshan Sud confirmed that the rare species of the aquatic mammal spotted by Divisional Forest Officer Basanta Rajkumar was indeed Platanista gangetica, a freshwater dolphin found in the Indus Gangetic river system.

Popularly referred to as “Bhuland” or “Bhulan”, this completely blind yet sensitive animal that depends on a highly developed echo-locator system was first put under the protected list during the rule of Emperor Ashok and finds reference in the historic Babarnama. Though the European wildlife expert John Anderson reported in 1878 that the playful mammal was seen in abundance in most rivers flowing from the Himalayas, it became rare as development and commercial fishing changed the nature of their habitat.

While villagers along the Sutlej and the Beas are quoted as having confirmed that they had never seen a “Bhuland” for the last three decades or so, on December 21, 2007, Rajkumar reported the spotting of two dolphins during a routine patrol. Subsequent investigations by the WWF team have established the presence of at least six specimens in the Harike lake, which is among the top Ramsar sites worldwide, being a major winter nesting site for thousands of rare migratory birds.

The presence of the dolphins there has sent a wave of excitement among the wildlife experts globally.

Dr. Behera said, “Although the physical appearance of the dolphins sighted resembles the Indus River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor), confirmation of this species can only be validated after detailed study and investigation, as this could be the Indus Dolphin as found in Pakistan or a sub-species.”

He said the various theories about the presence of the dolphins need to be explored.

Freshwater dolphins swim in some of the world’s mightiest rivers, including the Ganga, Indus, Yangtze and Amazon. The WWF has suggested that till a detailed conservation action plan is formulated, the Punjab Government must initiate a campaign to promote public awareness about the animal and protect the five habitats which have been identified so far. It has recommended immediate steps for protection and monitoring of the located dolphin population, while the Forest Department should depute frontline staff for patrolling the stretch of the Beas river.

The Minister said that the department would implement all the recommendations from the WWF.

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