RAMANATHAPURAM: An injured dolphin was rescued by local fishermen and forest department officials near SP Pattinam recently, and the video of the incident went viral on social media. According to sources, a striped dolphin, which was stranded in the shallow water, was spotted by the local fishermen of a village near SP Pattinam, who later informed the forest team officials.
As the dolphin seemed to have lost its ability to detect signals, the forest officials with the assistance of a local veterinarian treated the mammal, and administered medicines and other supplements. Once the dolphin revived its strength, it was released back into the sea by the officers, sources said.
According to a forest department official, the whole rescue process was carried out with the aid of local fishermen and the department will also be felicitating the fishers in this regard. He added that the forest officers have also been monitoring the region for further stranded fishes or other marine species that get washed ashore, so as to take immediate rescue measures.
Meanwhile, official sources said that the Gulf of Mannar houses more than 117 species of corals, fishes and endangered species such as dolphins, porpoises, dugongs, turtles and whales. Notably, the forest department has created awareness among fishermen along the coast line to rescue endangered species that get washed ashore.