By Abinash Chaudhary
Kailali, June 17: One of the world’s rarest species of Gangetic dolphins have started appearing in the Kailali rivers.
With the rising level of water, rare dolphins are seen in the rivers. Throughout the rainy season, dolphins can be easily seen in the rivers of Kailali.
After the water level in the rivers reached at least three metres, four dolphins have arrived, said Bhoj Raj Dhungana, president of Dolphin Aquatic and Biodiversity Conservation Nepal.
“Dolphins have been appearing at the meeting point of the Mohana-Patharaiya River, Kanda and the union of the Patharaiya-Gary River since Tuesday evening,” he said.
“Dolphins have come early this year at the beginning of the monsoon. Last year, they appeared in various rivers of Kailali from the first week of July,” Dhungana said.
“As the water level rises in big and small rivers, dolphins come here from Karnali and India’s Ghanghara River for food,” he said. Researchers have said that these dolphins, which enjoy the waters of Kailali during the monsoon, raise their young ones here.
After the rains, the dolphins are slowly returning to the lower coastal areas in search of depth. However, there are records of dolphins being seen in the Mohana River even in winter when the depth of the river is maintained.
Dolphins were spotted at Satti Ghat in January two years ago. Gangetic dolphins are said to live permanently in the Karnali River.
Rare dolphins can be seen very closely in some places of Baidi in Tikapur Municipality and few areas of Bhajani Municipality of this district.
Domestic and foreign tourists come to see the dolphins in the area, Dhungana said.
Due to the declining depth of the river, water pollution, reduction of food species, excessive use of pesticides in agriculture, the existence of dolphins remains uncertain.
Conservation work of this rare aquatic animal has been going on at the local level in Kailali for nearly two decades.