Yahoo Finance Bloodied, dead dolphin washes up in Mumbai; animal lovers cry foul
A shocking photo of a bloodied, dead dolphin in Mumbai's Cuffe Parade area has emerged that causing lot of heartburn among animal lovers.
The dead dolphin, albeit intact, seems to have been caught in some rope, and the sharp rocks of the Mumbai coastline may have battered the poor animal before it died.
Local fishermen, who found the dolphin and alerted the police, say when they found it it was already dead, and weighed about 200 kilos. The local police are doing preliminary investigations.
Although it is unclear what may have happened to the animal, many are alleging foul play.
Dolphins in Mumbai bring joy
Videos of dolphins, apparently swimming near Mumbai sea shore, were gone viral on social media, with some attributing the phenomenon to lack of fishing activity recently owing to the coronavirus situation.
The phenomenon began early in 2020, when the strict lockdown forced people to get off the roads and off Mumbai's promenades. Soon, those living along the coastline spotted the frolicking animals very close to shore, an unheard of event in the past.
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'These dolphins, known as Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins are very much part of Mumbais coastal line and have been spotted frequently in the last few years,' said Shaunak Modi, co-founder of Coastal Conservation Foundation, an NGO documenting marine life of Mumbai.
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Indian ocean humpback dolphins, Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/oBkU2k4L7T
— Shaunak Modi (@Pugdandee) February 17, 2021
The state coast line has not seen any major fishing activity in last some days due to growing concerns towards COVID-19, and also movement of large ships at ports like JNPT is limited, which may have led dolphins to make an appearance along Mumbai coast.
A full breach, an Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin seen from home #Bombay #Mumbai #indianoceanhumpbackdolphins #dolphins #wildlifephotography #wildlifeinthecity #viewfromhome #TwitterNatureCommunity #throughyourlens #nature #IndiWild #cetacean pic.twitter.com/F5FKfigveu
— Darshan Khatau (@khatau) February 13, 2021
PM announces project for conservation of river dolphins
10 years after Gangetic Dolphins were declared national aquatic animals, PM Modi announced, last year, a conservation project for the species.
The 'Project Dolphin' aims to give a stronger impetus for conservation of the aquatic mammals in the lines of 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant'.
According to the environment ministry, the project envisages to address conservation concerns and empower the stakeholders such as the river-dependent population in reducing the pollution and allowing sustainable fishery and river-based other livelihood options through scientifically oriented conservation methods.
(With inputs from PTI)
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