As water level rises because of the monsoon rains, rare aquatic dolphins have started appearing in rivers in Kailali.
According to the locals, dolphins have been sighted in the rivers in southeastern coastal area of the district for the past few days. According to conservationist Bhoj Raj Dhungana, dolphins are currently appearing at the confluence of Mohana River, Kanda River and Gairi Nala in Baidi of Tikapur Municipality-7.
Till now, 11 dolphins – three babies and eight adults – have been spotted, said Dhungana. “Dolphins can be sighted at the confluence of Mohana-Patharaiya, Kanda-Patharaiya and Patharaiya-Gairi rivers,” he said.
According to Dhungana, who is also the chairperson of Dolphin Aquatic and Biodiversity Conservation Nepal, the dolphins arrived in Baidi in the evening of June 29 this year. The dolphins arrived in mid-June last year after early monsoon.
Dolphins can now be observed in these rivers during the monsoon period. After the end of the monsoon, the dolphins also search for depth in the lower reaches of the Karnali River. Dolphins, which live in Karnali for all 12 months, come to the tributaries only temporarily during the monsoon.
It is said that dolphins come here from Ghaghara River in search of favourable environment to raise their young ones.
Dhungana says that dolphins come to the tributaries of the Karnali River especially in Bhajani Municipality-8 and Tikapur Municipality-7 in search of suitable food and for raising babies.
The locals are happy to see the dolphins, said Dhungana.
According to the locals, dolphins have been spotted in the Kailali River for a long time during the monsoon, but the conservation work was started only after 2056 BS at the initiative of senior
conservationist Bhojraj Shrestha aka Guleli Baje. Bijaya Raj Shrestha, another conservationist, said that the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has already formulated a dolphin conservation action plan for the protection of the endangered species.
According to Shrestha, the counting done in 2059 BS showed 130 dolphins in Kailali in total. That number hasn’t increased due to the lack of clean environment, water, as well as food, said Shrestha. Similarly, the physical structures being built along the river, dams and embankments are also harming the dolphins, he added.
Source : TRN,
