DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE DOLPHINS IN THE MEKONG ?

Few people know it, but there are dolphins in the Mekong.

They are called the Mekong Dolphins or also the Irrawaddy dolphins. The species was discovered only recently, in 1866 by Owen.

The species evolves from the Gulf of Bengal to Indonesia, lakes and rivers. The appearance is quite close to the killer whale.
At birth the baby weighs a dozen kg and measures 1m to reach 2, 30m and weigh about 130 kg in adulthood.

This dolphin has always had a complicity with the fishermen by beating the fish in their nets, especially in Burma and the fishermen's peoples deeply respect this endearing animal.

Unfortunately this dolphin is endangered and its situation is really critical since there would remain only a small sixty and only 3 in Laos. The species is classified by IUCN on the list of critically endangered species of extinction and the WWF even considers the species extinct.

Why is this species vanishing?

Several reasons for this and all because of man, as almost always...

1) The use of drifting nets in which dolphins will choke. This forbidden fishing technique is unfortunately still practised and even if it remains marginal, when one species counts more than 60 specimens, the death of one of them is a drama that still precipitates the date of their total extinction.

2) Pollutants released into the Mekong, which intoxicate them little by little and brake, see prevents their reproduction.

3) Electro fishing in Burma. This fishing technique used to start with small batteries and then car batteries and now real generators whose power is enough to kill an animal the size of a buffalo. Of course this technique is totally banned and the sanctions are very cumbersome, but the laxity of the authorities makes the sentences only exceptionally enforced. The fishing peoples of the Mekong are desperate but cannot do anything.

To these 3 factors it is necessary to add that in more distant times this dolphin was captured to populate the aquariums and was hunted for its oil.

Another factor that contributed significantly to its demise was, in 1975, the destruction of the Irrawaddy Delta mangrove to replace it with shrimp farming. This natural habitat was a privileged place where dolphins could reproduce easily.

The few remaining dolphins have lost confidence in the man and are understood. Everyone knows that this animal is extremely clever. Fishermen say that before when they called them the Dolphins came and folded the fish to the nets, but now they no longer come and stand away.

Some will ask me where we can see these dolphins. It can be achieved through an NGO (Wild Life Conservation Society) which has been able to establish a programme by associating the local inhabitants and introducing them to ecotourism and the necessary measures for the conservation of these animals.

For my part I would rather be favorable to no observation by leaving the Dolphins calm and hoping that one can see grow, even if only little in the immediate, their number.

Observing is good when you can but preserving is much better when you want it.


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