Kendrapada: The carcass of an endangered Irrawaddy dolphin was found washed ashore on Pentha beach in Odisha’s Kendrapada district, forest officials said Monday.
The dolphin, measuring about 6 feet 2 inches, is suspected to have died at sea several days ago before its carcass drifted onto the beach, the officials said.
Residents spotted the carcass in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary under Bhitarkanika National Park and informed the forest department, which recovered it for examination. The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained, they said.
Bhitarkanika range officer Chittaranjan Beura said the Irrawaddy dolphin is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, listed as a migratory species, and classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
Wildlife experts said the species is among the most threatened cetaceans inhabiting the coastal, estuarine and riverine waters of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.
