The population of dolphins in Odisha’ Chilika brackish water lake, and along the Odisha coast has doubled this year compared with last year.
- The data was released by the the wildlife wing of the State Forest and Environment Department.
- Three species were recorded during the census conducted in January and February, with 544 Irrawaddy, bottle-nose and humpback dolphins sighted this year, compared with 233 last year.
- The population of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, which are mostly found in Chilika lake, jumped from 146 in 2020 to 162 this year.
- Apart from Chilika, 39 Irrawaddy dolphins were sighted in the Rajnagar mangrove division, though their number has come down from 60 in 2020.
- Only two humpback dolphins were sighted in the Rajnagar mangrove in 2020. In 2021, however, this population grew astronomically to 281.
- There is also an overall increase in dolphin population in Chilika as 26 bottle-nose dolphins were sighted during the census as against 17 last year. This has taken the overall population of dolphins, inhabiting the lake, to 188 from 163 in 2020.
(References: The Hindu)
