Gangetic Dolphin spotted in Charikadiya River after a quarter century

North Lakhimpur, Oct 16: An endangered aquatic mammal, the Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista gangetica), was spotted in the Charikadiya River in Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district of Assam. This has been stated by Dhruba Jyoti Chetia and Rajib Baruah of Pu N Fu Wild, a wild life protection group based in Dhakuakhana.

A team of the group consisting of Dhrubajyoti Nath and Manash Pratim Dutta along with Dhruba Jyoti Chetia and Rajib Baruah spotted the aquatic species while bird watching at Bolaighat on the river on Saturday.

Locally called the Sihu, the Gangetic Dolphin was last seen on the Charikadiya River twenty-five years ago, in 1998. Hunting by men, decreasing of its food like Neriya (Garua Bachcha) fish, shallowing of the river bed due to massive bank erosion have been blamed for the near extinction of this aquatic species in the last few years.