Rare freshwater dolphins enter Harike wetland in Indian Punjab from Pakistan

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Rare freshwater Indus River Dolphins enter Harike wetland in Indian side of

Punjab assumed to have swum upstream from Pakistan

 

 

Experts confirm rare Dolphins in Punjab wetland

 

Amritsar, Punjab, India | December 22, 2007| IANS

 

By Jaideep Sarin, Amritsar, Dec 21 :

 

 

The presence of rare freshwater dolphins in the Harike wetland and

wildlife sanctuary in Ferozepur district in Punjab was confirmed by the

wildlife experts Friday, bringing cheer to wildlife experts.

World

Wildlife Fund (WWF) experts, Sanjay Behera and marine life expert

Ashgar Nawab, finally spotted a pair of the freshwater dolphins

(Platanista minor) in the wetland, which is nearly 80 km wide at the

confluence of Sutlej and Beas rivers, Friday evening after spending

hours trying to locate them over the last two days.

Wildlife

officials said the WWF experts spotted a pair of fully-grown dolphins

and three smaller dolphins, believed to be their siblings.

" We

saw the dolphins swimming around in the interior part of the wetland.

It was an amazing sight to see them come up from the water and go back

again. It is a rare sight, " Behera said.

" There were plenty of

evidences provided to us over the last two days by forest and wildlife

officials and locals around the wetland to put in so many hours and

surf for these unique creatures. "

Earlier in the month, sanctuary staff and locals living in villages around the

wetland first reported the dolphins.

The

dolphins were filmed by Punjab's Divisional Forest Officer Basanta

Kumar Dec 14 following which experts and scientists from WWF and the

Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India were asked to come and

observe the creatures.

" The confirmation of their presence is

great news. Now nature lovers and tourists should flock to this

sanctuary to see these unique creatures, " WWF's Punjab in-charge Gunbir

Singh said.

The freshwater dolphins are said to be rare creatures, which are found in the

Indus river basin in Pakistan.

The

origin of these dolphins is linked to the Tethys Sea that existed

between Indian subcontinent and Asia over 50 million years ago. When

the sea dried up, these creatures took refuge mainly in the Indus river

basin.

Though wildlife experts say that it is too early to

predict how the dolphins came to this wetland, it is being assumed that

they swam upstream from rivers in Pakistan. The WWF and other wildlife

experts will study the dolphins over the next few days to know how they

reached here.

While the WWF experts will remain here to study

the dolphins, more wildlife scientists are expected to join next week

to suggest measures for conservation and help in breeding of the

dolphins.

" We are all quite concerned about the protection of the dolphins. We must take

proper care of them, " Behera said.

These freshwater dolphins number only about 1,000 and are known to exist in a

handful of rivers across the globe.

(IANS)

 

http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20071222/853606.html

http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews & id=6356

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/162798.html

 

 

 

Rare freshwater dolphins enthuse wildlife experts (Chandigarh, Punjab, India)

 

 

 

December 21, 2007, IANS

 

 

Chandigarh, Punjab, INDIA: The sighting of rare freshwater dolphins in the

Harike

wetland in north Punjab has enthused wildlife experts and nature lovers

who now want to study their presence there.

Hitherto known to

survive only in the Indus river basin, especially in Pakistan, the

spotting of the freshwater dolphins by a forest officer of the Punjab

forest and wildlife department has generated a lot of interest among

wildlife and nature lovers.

Other staff have also confirmed

their existence in the Harike wildlife sanctuary in Punjab's Ferozepur

district, 50 km from the Sikh holy city of Amritsar.

The World

Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has already announced two experts - dolphin

researcher Sanjay Beshera and aquatic wildlife expert Ashgar Nawabi -

who will be heading to Harike, 300 km from here, to study the dolphins

sighted there.

Punjab's divisional forest officer Basanta

Rajkumar filmed and photographed the dolphin pair near the confluence

of the Sutlej and Beas rivers Dec 14 after sanctuary staff sighted the

pair.

Officials said there could be at least three dolphins in

the wetland. The wetland is close to the international border between

India and Pakistan and if the existence of the dolphins is confirmed,

it is assumed that they could have swum upstream from Pakistan.

" This

is a great Christmas gift to Punjab. It qualifies as the rarest of rare

sightings. Till now, Indus river dolphins were only found in the river

in Pakistan, " Gunbir Singh of WWF-Punjab said.

The history of

the Indus river dolphins is traced to the Tethys Sea that existed

between the Indian subcontinent and Asia over 50 million years ago.

The

Punjab wildlife department has also approached scientists of the

Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India to come and observe the

mammals spotted at Harike.

" We have approached scientists at

the wildlife institute in Dehradun. Our officials are trying to observe

the dolphins in Harike, " conservator of forests Jitender Sharma said

here.

Harike wildlife officials have been asked by the WWF and

the wildlife institute experts to monitor the activities of the

dolphins over the next few days.

If the existence of dolphins

is confirmed, wildlife and nature experts are already talking of

conservation methods to help them breed in the wetland.

The Harike Lake was declared a bird sanctuary in 1982 and a Ramsar Site in

1990. The wetland is also home to the testudine turtle and the smooth Indian

otter, both of which are listed in the International Union for Conservation of

Nature and Natural Resources' (IUCN) Redlist of Threatened Animals. (IANS)

 

http://samachaar.in/Chandigarh/Rare_freshwater_dolphins_enthuse_wildlife_experts\

_17040/

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20071221/853054.html

http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews & id=6101

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/162422.html

 

 

Also see:

 

Ganges and Indus River Dolphin

 

From Wikipedia, the free

encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges_and_Indus_River_Dolphin

 

 

 

----- Forwarded Message ----

" nalinm " <nalinm

nathistory-india

Friday, December 21, 2007 6:17:23 PM

Dolphins- Punjab

 

 

Amazing news !!

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Forwarded Message

 

Frm- Sandeep kumar jain <jeevdaya

To- Atul Singh Nischal <atulsinghnischal

Cc-

Sent- Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:03:02 PM

Subject- Re: Rare freshwater dolphins enter Harike wetland in Indian

Punjab from Pakistan

 

 

 

This all ab dolphins and sharks

 

 

 

5 dolphins in Harike lake

 

 

 

 

Tribune News Service

 

 

Gurdaspur, December 21, 2007

 

 

 

Experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today confirmed the presence of

river-water dolphins in the Wildlife Sanctuary at Harike in Ferozepur. The team

had reached the sanctuary on Thursday.

 

Teams of wildlife experts confirmed the presence of five or six dolphins in the

Harike lake. Chief conservator of forest and wildlife Jatinder Sharma said the

WWF team spotted the dolphins, five in number, in the sanctuary late this

evening.

 

 

 

 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071222/punjab1.htm#15

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh water shark on verge of extinction

 

 

 

 

Lalit Mohan, Tribune News Service

 

Ropar December 22, 2007

 

 

 

The biggest carnivorous fish of the Indus basin is facing extinction. Belonging

to the catfish family goonch, it is found in the Sutlej and the Beas rivers of

the state. It is grayish in colour and can grow up to 200 kg in weight and 5

feet in length. Due to rings of teeth in its mouth, it is also called the fresh

water shark.

 

It preys on smaller fish, shrimps and other aquatic life such as frogs. It

breeds just before the rainy season. During this season it moves upstream to lay

eggs that flow downstream in the water before hatching in calm waters.

 

However, due to indiscriminate fishing even during the breeding season and

shrinking water in rivers due to the construction of dams, the population of the

fresh water shark has gone down drastically.

 

The sources in the Department of Fisheries said it was now spotted very rarely

in rivers. Its number was also limited in the wetlands of the state. Pollution

in the rivers might also be affecting its population.

 

Generally it stays at the bottom of the river, but while hunting it also comes

at the top of the water. At this time its fins can be seen above the level of

water.

 

Migrant fishermen here use strong ropes and hooks to trap the goonch fish. It is

also anglers¢ delight in the upper areas of the Sutlej and the Beas. It is

hunted for the large quantity of meat generated from a single piece. However,

its meat decays very fast and has to be consumed quickly.

 

Conservationists are of the opinion that special efforts should be made to

rejuvenate the population of the biggest carnivore fish of fresh waters. It¢s

hunting should be banned totally and its eggs should be introduced in rivers

during the flood season. It is vital for the ecology of the Punjab rivers.

 

The golden mahaseer is another carnivorous fish found in the waters of the

Punjab rivers that has been endangered due to indiscriminate poaching in the

breeding season and the construction of dams.

 

In dams constructed in foreign countries fish ladders are constructed to help

fish move upstream during the breeding season. However, in India no such

provision is being made in the dams.

 

Fish like the golden mahasheer breeds in fast-flowing streams and its eggs have

to remain floating in the water for quite some time to hatch.

 

However, since they now cannot move upstreams due to the construction of dams

their population is endangered.

 

 

 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071223/punjab1.htm#2

 

 

 

 

 

 

HARIKE DOLPHINS, Govt busy with protection plans

 

 

 

 

Gurbaxpuri

 

Harike (Tarn Taran), December 22, 2007

 

 

 

 

With the Harike wetland suddenly emerging on the international wildlife map,

after recent reports on the presence of dolphins, various departments concerned

have come into action to plan on how to ensure protection of the endangered

species and take steps for developing the area.

 

Deputy commissioner Ajoy Sharma said contaminated water of Satluj , which

mingles with cleaner Beas, needed to be treated and sewerage treatment plants

were on the cards.

 

He said the Science and Technology Department was also working on a project for

developing the 84-acre wetland. This will include de-silting and soil

conservation of the area.

 

Most of the encroachments on the banks on the wetland have been removed The

wetland is spread over three districts-Tarn Taran, Kapurthala and Ferozpur and

the sighting of dolphins is being considered rare.

 

The Indus river dolphin, platanista minor, has been sighted by teams of the

Punjab Wildlife and the Forest Department. Once the project for development of

the wetland was ready, it would be sent to the Punjab government for making

budgetary provision, said Sharma.

 

Dr Anish Dua, aquatic biologist with Guru Nanak University¢s Department of

zoology, said there was need for detailed survey to get details about the total

population and preferred habitat of the dolphins. A research group from Guru

Nanak Dev University, including Dr Dua and Chander Parkash, a Ph.D student, had

been trying to explore the ecosystem of the Harike Wetland for 10 years.

 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071223/punjab1.htm

 

 

Also see:

 

Rare freshwater Indus River Dolphins enter Harike wetland in Indian side of

Punjab assumed to have swum upstream from Pakistan:

 

 

http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/1050

Ganges and Indus River Dolphin

From Wikipedia, the free

encyclopediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganges_and_Indus_River_Dolphin

 

Harike WetlandsFrom WWF-India

websitehttp://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater_wetlands/our_work\

/ramsar_sites/harike_wetlands_.cfm

 

 

 

 

 

 

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