Guwahati: A male Ganges river dolphin in Assam was tagged and released with the aim to understand their seasonal and migratory patterns and habitat utilisation, particularly in fragmented or disturbed river systems.
The initiative has been conducted under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and implemented by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and biodiversity organisation Aaranyak, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority, according to a release.
This is the first tagging of the species in India under Project Dolphin to undertake a comprehensive range-wide research to develop a conservation action plan, and fill existing knowledge gaps for the long-term conservation of the species, it said.
The Ganges river dolphin, the national aquatic animal, is unique in its ecology, being nearly blind and relying on echo location for its biological needs.
