DERA GHAZI KHAN: The decomposed body of a calf of the endangered Indus river dolphin was found downstream of the Taunsa Barrage near the Kholingwala siphon.

The incident was reported on Monday evening by Senior Wildlife Ranger Muhammad Kamran.

Following the report, field staff recovered the carcass and initially placed it at the Head Taunsa Barrage office.

On Tuesday, the body was transported to the Veterinary Hospital, Kot Addu, by the field staff and the assistant chief Wildlife Ranger of Muzaffargarh for a post-mortem.

According to the report, the preliminary cause of death is believed to be lung congestion, likely resulting from a combination of cold weather conditions and critically low water levels in the river.

As a preventive measure against potential zoonotic disease, the carcass was buried along the riverside by wildlife employees.

On the other hand, the wildlife activists demanded a ban on fishing by contractors and others till Feb 1 as annual maintenance of Taunsa Barrage is going on which brings the water level further down.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2026