Now, Bhitarkanika a safe second address for Irrawaddy dolphins

The census result shows that there are 134 dolphins in Chilika of which 121 are Irrawaddy species while the rest are Bottlenose.
Now, Bhitarkanika a safe second address for Irrawaddy dolphins

BHUBANESWAR: The endangered Irrawaddy dolphins appear to have found a safe second home in Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary where, the latest census says, the cetaceans are found in good numbers too though Chilika lagoon remains the primary habitat.
While the total dolphin count across seven coastal divisions has shown a decline, the number of Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika Wildlife and Rajnagar Mangrove divisions has remained more or less steady, sources said.
The census result shows that there are 134 dolphins in Chilika of which 121 are Irrawaddy species while the rest are Bottlenose. In 2015, the brackish water lagoon had 144 Irrawaddy dolphins while Bhitarkanika had 58.

Experts say the drop in Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika should not necessarily mean a huge drop in population. “This could mean the Irrawaddy dolphins have found Bhitarkanika to be a favourable habitat. Since the Irrawaddies migrate to sea from the coastal wetlands, and also from one habitat to another through the marine waters, their number keeps changing,” sources informed.
This year, the lagoon has recorded Bottlenose dolphins too. As many as 13 Bottlenose dolphins were sighted by the census teams. According to experts, The Bottlenose dolphins can not survive in fresh water but do live around the mouth of the lagoon and even get inside during high tides in search of food as this is the spawning period. They exit the lagoon during low tides.

In Rajnagar Division, the total head count was 82 as against 270 in 2015. The sharp drop was primarily because inclement weather did not permit sighting at many ranges. If six species were sighted two years back, this time around, four species were recorded.
Similarly, in Puri Wildlife Division, altogether seven Bottlenose dolphins were sighted whereas in 2015, the sighting was nil.

The census, conducted across six coastal divisions on January 20, also showed that there has been marginal change in the dolphins sighted in the rest four - Berhampur, Bhadrak and Balasore. At Berhampur, about 29 dolphins including 11 Bottlenose and 18 Humpbacks were recorded whereas at Bhadrak, five Irrawady dolphins were sighted. Balasore reported zero sighting as against five in 2015.
In total, as many as 257 dolphins, including 181 Irrawaddy, 31 Bottlenose, 4o Humpbacks (of two subspecies) and five Pantropical Spotted cetaceans were recorded. In 2015, as many as 450 dolhins were sighted. Maximum number of species diversity was noticed in Rajnagar.
Five dolphin species were reported during the enumeration by 40 estimation teams having 204 members from Wildlife Wing, Honorary Wildlife Wardens, WWF-India, BNHS-Mumbai, OUAT, Chilika Development Authority and NGOs.

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