Indus River dolphin is Punjab’s state aquatic animal

  • Punjab Government on February 1, 2019 gave the nod to declare the endangered Indus river Dolphin as Punjab state aquatic animal.
  • Capt Amarinder Singh, who chaired the second meeting of the State Board for Wildlife, said that Indus dolphin, a rare aquatic mammal, would be the flagship species for the conservation of the Beas eco-system.
  • The State Board for Wildlife also gave approval to declare Kanjli Wetland and holy Kali Bein as a wildlife conservation reserve to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
  • The Indus river dolphin is the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin. At present, there are only around 1,800 of these in the in the Indus in Pakistan. Their population in the Beas is between 8 to 10.
  • The Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor) is one of the world’s rarest mammals and the second most endangered freshwater river dolphin. It is also known as Bhulan.
  • Although its eye hasn’t developed a lens (this species is also referred to as the blind dolphin), the dolphin still uses its eyes to differentiate between light and dark. It relies on echolocation (sound sensors) to find fish, shrimp, and other prey in the bottom mud.

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