THE Indus Blind Dolphin (Platanista minor) is only endemic to Pakistan and is considered as second most threatened fresh water Dolphin in the world. Its habitat has shrinked to just 1350 km’s due to the construction of dams and barrages on the Indus. Its population has also reduced to just one thousand, which is also isolated in between these barrages. Apart from habitat shrinkage, there are many other man made and natural environmental threats to this unique species of the world. Among these threats, stranding into the barrage canals is a major one. About two to three percent of the total population gets stranded in the canals every year. This issue came to the notice of Sindh Wildlife Department in 1995. Immediately its functionaries at Sukkur started a rescue programme.
Now, WWF-Pakistan is also deeply involved in the rescue programme and UNDP/GEF-SGP has funded this rescue programme for the coming three years. But due to lack of training facilities within the country, the Zoological Society of Washington (USA) has offered training facilities to the representatives of Sindh Wildlife Department, WWF-Pakistan and Lahore Zoo. A team of senior experts from these organisations went to Sarasota Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, in June 2001 for getting training regarding the capturing, handling and other scientific studies about the Dolphins. Here is detailed account.
Introduction of the course
This summer field research programme about Bottlenose Sea Dolphin is conducted by Monte Marine Research Laboratory Sarasota, Florida every summer from 1-15 June. This research programme is supported by Chicago Zoological Society, the National Marine Fisheries Service (USA) and the International Whaling Commission. This summer research programme is attended by researchers, scientists, students, nature lovers and volunteers from different walks of life. We reached Sarasota on 2nd June 2001. There were about 150 animals on study during this summer and except few newly born babies, all dolphins were tagged (Freeze branded) during the previous years studies. During 8 working days, we captured 35 dolphins. Eventually we released nine unhandled, while 26 were handled and following studies were carried out.
1. Capturing, handling and release.
2. Body weight and measurement.
3. Health assessment through biopsy, blood sampling, ultrasound, urinalysis, milking faeces collection and blowhole sampling.
4. Temperature and heat flux studies trough thremoscopy.
5. Roto-radio tagging of adults for mating system observations.
6. Deployment of high frequency DTAGS for acoustic communication.
7. Freeze breaded TAGS through liquid nitrogen for identification.
8. Whistle playback studies and baseline whistle recordings.
During the training course, all team members worked in coordination with all the scientists groups. A variety of equipment including seven specialized boats were at our disposal. Maximum depth of the ocean in all three working places was 7-8 feet. In shallow waters of around 3-4 feet, the animals were encircled with the help of well-designed nets and after encircling the animals, a well-trained crew would jump into the water and hold the animal in their arms. Thereafter, all the afore mentioned studies were carried out on the wide platform of the boat. At the same time, the animals were kept upright while water was continuously poured onto their bodies.
After the studies were carried out, animals were then off-loaded into the water, through a stretcher.
Mote marine laboratory
Mote Marine Research Laboratory offers research courses on marine mammals. A research programme on the Bottlenose Sea Dolphin has also been running here since last thirty years. Researchers, scientists, students and environmentalists from different research and education institutions of USA participate in this programme voluntarily. Other marine mammals on study here are manatee (sea cow) and marine turtles. Separate research wings for these animals are established in this laboratory with experienced scientists and researchers. The building also houses a veterinary hospital for manatees and sea turtles. Its first floor occupies research wings, rehabilitation centre with big ponds for marine mammals, conference room, class room and a museum.
On return from the training course, our team plans to improve our conservation strategy and rescue programme and manage it with new disciplines on scientific lines. Our priorities will be:-
1. To train a team of wildlife staff and local fishermen for conducting rescues with more safe-guards.
2. Improve capturing, handling and release techniques during rescues.
3. Carry out maximum studies on health evaluation and genetic sampling. 4. Radio tagging for observing the re-strandings and migration pattern within the river.
5. Other all possible physical and general information collection.
In this regard, resources availability and required laboratory facilities are still to be managed. Conservationists and the International Whaling Commission can come forward and facilitate this, first of its kind, scientific and research oriented programme in this region. Research on Bottlenose Dolphin and Marine Turtles of the Arabian Sea, near the Karachi coast, can also be included in this programme. However, WWF-Pakistan will have to play its independent role in making this dream a reality.
THE Indus Blind Dolphin (Platanista minor) is only endemic to Pakistan and is considered as second most threatened fresh water Dolphin in the world. Its habitat has shrinked to just 1350 km’s due to the construction of dams and barrages on the Indus. Its population has also reduced to just one thousand, which is also isolated in between these barrages. Apart from habitat shrinkage, there are many other man made and natural environmental threats to this unique species of the world. Among these threats, stranding into the barrage canals is a major one. About two to three percent of the total population gets stranded in the canals every year. This issue came to the notice of Sindh Wildlife Department in 1995. Immediately its functionaries at Sukkur started a rescue programme.
