Rare Indus dolphin shot dead in Balochistan

In Pakistan, where countless people lose their lives in street crimes and other violent activities, one would wonder what a dolphin would have done to be shot dead.

In an unfortunate incident, a rare Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor), was killed by some unidentified men in Balochistan, it emerged on Sunday.

Sindh Wildlife Department spokesperson confirmed the tragic incident, saying that the dolphin strayed into the Gannang Regulator, Balochistan from Sukkur via the Kirthar Canal of the Indus River.

He said that the irrigation department had informed the wildlife department about the dead dolphin.

Blind, with a snout equipped with two rows of sharp teeth, Sindh’s Indus river dolphins are endangered species and receive global importance due to their conservation status.

It is one of the only four freshwater dolphin species in the world facing multiple threats, which include unsustainable fishing and entanglement incidents, canal stranding and release of untreated industrial effluents to the river among others.