(IN)River dolphin crowned India's aquatic animal

[Guest guest]

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/index.php?option=com_content & task=view & issueid=111 & \

id=65014 & Itemid=1 & sectionid=114 & secid=0

 

River dolphin crowned India's aquatic animal

Ashish Sinha

New Delhi, October 6, 2009

Move aside gharial, the Gangetic dolphin, a fresh water mammal facing

extinction, has made its big leap.

 

The Centre on Monday declared the river dolphin as the 'national aquatic animal'

on a proposal moved by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

 

Bihar, where the animal is known as Soòs, accounts for the largest number of

Gangetic dolphins, whose number could now be only a few hundred. Besides the

Ganga, the river dolphin is also found in the Brahmaputra, the Indus and their

tributaries.

 

The smooth-skinned, grey-black dolphins come with long snouts.

 

" Like the tiger as national animal and the peacock as national bird, we have

declared the dolphin as the national aquatic animal. It represents the health of

the rivers, particularly the Ganga, " environment and forest minister Jairam

Ramesh said after the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority

chaired by PM Manmohan Singh.

 

After the declaration, the government is expected to unveil a 'Project Dolphin'

aimed at saving the rare freshwater species from extinction. The animal figures

in Schedule-I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

 

The species is very different in shape, size and characteristics from the sea

dolphins.

 

Courtesy: Mail Today

 

--

Thank you for your compassion !

With best regards,

Debasis Chakrabarti

Compassionate Crusaders Trust

http://www.animalcrusaders.org