Endangered dolphin carcass washes ashore on Pentha beach

Kendrapada: The carcass of an endangered Irrawaddy dolphin was found washed ashore on Pentha beach in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary on Monday.The dolphin, measuring about 6 feet 2 inches in length, is believed to have died several days before its carcass drifted onto the beach, forest officials said.Forest officials recovered the carcass for examination after locals alerted them. The exact cause of death is yet to be determined.“The Irrawaddy dolphin is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), and is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List,” said Chittaranjan Beura, range officer of Bhitarkanika National Park.Environmentalist Hemant Rout said accidental entanglement in fishing and trawler nets remains one of the leading causes of dolphin mortality along the Odisha coast. “Despite their high intelligence, dolphins often venture close to trawlers in search of food, making them vulnerable to accidental capture in fishing nets,” Rout said.