Forest personnel to conduct Dolphin population census in Odisha

Kendrapara: The three days long enumeration drive of dolphin population will be taken up on Wednesday from Dhamara to Mahanadi mouth within Bhitarkanika Mangrove Wetland and also at the rivers within Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and wildlife division Sudarshan Gopinath Jadhav said on Tuesday, a daylong training program on dolphin population survey was organized at CCRC, Gupti.
As many as nine teams of 30 forest personnel and researchers will carry out the dolphin population survey.
Jadhav said the dolphin population survey would provide basic information about migrating behavior of Irrawaddy dolphins as well as other species.
The coastline of Bhitarkanika National Park is said to be a favorable habitat place for Irrawaddy dolphins next to Chilika.
This time the forest personnel are all set to carry out dolphin status surveys at Bhadrak Division, Kendrapara coast and Jagatsinghpur coast along with the rivers within Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
About 540 dolphins of five types are inhabiting the coastal water of Bhitarkanika Mangrove wetland from Dhamara to Mahanadi mouth under Rajnagar Mangrove Wildlife division, as per the Dolphin census report -2022
They included 55 Irrawaddy Dolphin, 135 Bottlenose Dolphin, 332 Humpback Dolphin, 13 striped dolphins and 15 spinners Dolphin.
The Irrawaddy dolphin population was highest in Chilika as per the last census
The bottlenose Dolphin, Humpback Dolphin, Striped Dolphin and spinner Dolphin were sighted in large numbers at Rajnagar Mangrove Forest (wildlife) Division. The Humpback dolphin, striped dolphin and Spinner dolphin have been sighted only in the Rajnagar Mangrove Forest wildlife) Division. (UNI)