Indus River Dolphin
The Indus River dolphin is a magnificent animal. An
animal that is endangered. But it is not threatened by its
natural predators, or by nature itself. No, that dolphin is
threatened by us. That means that only we, humans, can
save it.
This is the only book that will teach you about the Indus
dolphin itself, give you its characteristics and basic
information, show you what threatens it, show you what
organizations are doing worldwide to save the mammal, but
it will also tell you how you can help with protecting its
habitat. You have the life of that species in your hands!
Save the Indus River
Dolphin!
Save the freshwater dolphin
Indus River
Dolphin
SAVE THE FRESHWATER DOLPHIN
By Atanas Kondakov
Indus River Dolphin
Save the freshwater dolphin
INDUS
RIVER
DOLPHIN:
SAVE THE
FRESHWATER
DOLPHIN
BY ATANAS KONDAKOV
Indus River Dolphin
Legacy Publishing,
part of Kondakoff CorporationTM
www.kodakoff-corporaton.com
INDUS RIVER DOLPHIN
save the freshwater dolphin
a book
First published in Bulgaria
in 2015 by Kondakoff Publishing
sponsored with a printing device
by the Anglo-American School of Sofia.
First and ONLY edition.
Limited collection.
Atanas Kondakov has asserted his right under the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book may be considered a work of science or may be considered as an
encyclopedia. Every statement in it should be true.
This book is not available anywhere else. You can read it ONLY here and now.
If you are still reading this, you have to be aware of the following:
The book is not sold subject to the condition that it shall not,
by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out,
or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any
form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and
without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed
on the subsequent purchaser.
Kondakoff Publishing still has no address, so you cannot find the
company anywhere, even in the Internet.
The author has all rights on this book. No part of it should be reproduced or
used without both the author’s and the publisher’s agreement.
Some of the stated may not be true.
Copyright 2015. Atanas Kondakov and Kondakoff Publishing
Content:
Save the freshwater dolphin
I. Introduction
II. The Indus River Dolphin
III. Scientific Classification and More
Information
IV. The Life of an Endangered Species
V. The Importance of the Indus dolphin
VI. Threats of the Indus River dolphin
VII. Effect of the reduce in the population of the
Indus River dolphin on other species
VIII.Human activity leading to a decrease of the
Indus dolphin population
IX. Human activity to minimize the reduce
X. How you can minimize the decrease?
XI. Epilogue
XII. Sources of Information
Indus River Dolphin
Introduction
The Indus River Dolphin is a magnificent animal.
Everybody likes dolphins. But what is even more
likable for this species, is that it is a freshwater
dolphin. That means it lives in rivers and lakes,
where the water is fresh, not salt like in the seas and
the oceans. Nowadays, only four freshwater dolphin
species are left. It is believed that all of them have
o r i g i n a t e d f r o m t h e a n c i e n t Te t h y s S e a .
Approximately fifty million tears ago, the sea dried
up. This was the
reason why the
dolphins were
forced to adapt to
the only left
habitat they could
live in - the
freshwater river
and lakes. Then the
continents slowly formed
themselves and the
Save the freshwater dolphin
different solon species were spread to different
places. Some of the most popular freshwater dolphin
species are called after the river they live in: Indus,
Ganges, Yangtze, Mekong and even the Amazon
River.
A m a z o n
River dolphin
>>>>>>>>
Ya n g t z e
R i v e r
Dolphin
>>>>>
Indus River Dolphin
The Indus River
Dolphin
Save the freshwater dolphin
Indus River Dolphin eating a small fish
Dolphins are marvelous creatures. That’s why we
always look for them when we are in the sea.
However, there are dolphins in the rivers, too. But
the fact that we don’t even know about the
freshwater mammals explains why all of these
species are endangered. If we cared more about the
animals that we share our only world with we would
have known that those beautiful dolphins don’t have
a happy life, like most of their sea relatives. The river
dolphins have to be protected or whole ecosystems,
in which we, humans, take place, may fall apart. But
if we are eager to learn more about the river
mammals, we need to know them better.
The Indus River dolphin is one of four freshwater
dolphin species. It is really similar to the common
sea dolphin we all know, except that the river
dolphin’s mouth is longer, and there are some
varieties in their fin. The Indus dolphin lives in the
Indus River, which is located in Pakistan, South Asia.
It is one of the longest rivers in South Asia with total
length - 3,180 km. The dolphin can be seen mostly in
the middle and lower parts of the river because the
big amount of barrages and dams that are built on the
river damaged its habitat really bad.
Indus River Dolphin
The Indus River dolphin is a mammal. Because of
the habitat it lives in, it is generally blind. The
average length of a grown-up is 8.2 ft. Its weight
varies between 155 and 245 pounds. It is estimated
that only about 1,100 individuals are left on a small
750 miles stretch of the river. The river dolphins
have one very specific physical characteristic - the
color of their skin is mostly the color of the river
Save the freshwater dolphin
they live in - brown, gray, and the Amazon is famous
under the name “Pink dolphin”. The Indus River is
brown because of the pollution and the mud that is in
it, so the Indus dolphin in brown, too. As you can see
on figure 1 the beaks of these dolphins are swollen at
the tip and longer than of those of their sea cousins.
The Indus dolphin’s beaks can even reach one fifth
of its total body length. You can see their teeth that
are showing on the sides of their mouths. What is
interesting of the physical description of those
species is that they have additional ears just under
their eyes, which are actually really small and
probably can see only blurred pictures. There is also
clear sexual dimorphism: the female individuals are
clearly bigger than the male ones, because their
rostrum continues growing even after the male one
has stopped.
Size comparison of an average human
against the Indus River dolphin
Indus River Dolphin
Scientific
Classification and
More Information
The Indus River Dolphin is a mammal with many
different specifications. Here is some of the basic
scientific information:
Scientific name (in latin): Platanista minor
Other common names: Indus River dolphin, Indus
dolphin, Indus Susu, South Asian River dolphin,
Blind River dolphin
Conservation Status (IUCN Red List): Endangered
(EN)
Scientific Classification:
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Subclass: Eutheria
• Order: Cetacea
•
•
•
•
•
Suborder: Odontoceti
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Platanistidae
Genus: Platanista
Species: P. Minor
Save the freshwater dolphin
More information about the Indus River dolphin:
•
•
•
•
•
The Indus dolphin has a specific behavior that
can be described as natatorial, motile, solitary
and social.
There have been sightings of groups that consist
of as many as 30 individuals, but generally they
are seen in “trios” (groups of three dolphins).
Because the dolphin is practically almost
completely blind, it depends much on
echolocation, especially for navigating itself and
finding food.
The lifespan of an Indus River dolphin is about
20 years.
The Indus Susu is feeding mostly on prawns,
catfish and carp.
Indus River Dolphin
The Life of an
Endangered
Species
Save the freshwater dolphin
The river dolphin species are endangered. There
are only four of them left in the wild, and each of
them is really limited in population. The Indus River
dolphin population counts no more than 1,100
individuals. But what is worse is the fact that those
dolphins are threatened during all their life. Despite
the fact that the river is very polluted by all the
chemicals that the industrial corporations dispose in
the water, the local communities use the river for
throwing their rubbish, washing their clothes, and
many other domestic activities. This destroys the
dolphin’s habitat and the habitat of many other living
in the river animals. Also, human activity in the river
area is one of the main reasons why the Indus River
dolphin population is so small.
The Indus River dolphin is such a
magnificent creature that we have to
protect.
Indus River Dolphin
The Importance of
the Indus dolphin
The
Indus River dolphin is a very important
species. The fact that it lives only in a specific part of
the Indus River doesn’t mean that it may affect only
that ecosystem. In the nature, everything is
connected. A small mistake may cause, although just
temporary, a big chain reaction with many drastic
changes, which
will be hard not
only for the
animals in that
ecosystem and
the nearby ones,
but also for the
humans that
live in that are.
But why is the
Indus River
dolphin so
Save the freshwater dolphin
important? Well, one of the main things that an Indus
River dolphin can show us is that its habitat is good
for living. And with this we can say that where there
are many river dolphins then that part of the river
they live in is clear enough and suitable for being
used by living organisms. So that means that humans
can also use the water from the river for watering
plant crops and drinking (after a cleaning process).
But we all know that many animals eat other
animals. That way they help the nature with keeping
a species population in its carrying capacity. Or, in
other words, it keeps the river from overpopulating.
But if the Indus Susu goes extinct, then the entire
ecosystem will have to pass through many changes.
First of all, there will be a time when the river will be
overpopulated with prawns, catfish and carp, because
no one will regulate their populations. And then the
entire food web of the Indus River will change only
because of one species gone extinct.
And who knows what will happen to the people that
live in that area? The Indus River dolphin is very
important economically for Pakistan. It is a unique
animal that we all should take care of and protect
from all the dangers that are there in the river.
Indus River Dolphin
Threats of the Indus
River dolphin
There are many things that are threatening the
Indus River dolphin. However, the dolphin doesn’t
have much, maybe even any, natural predators. This
means that the Blind river dolphin is not threatened
by animals but by us - humans. We are the major
threats of the Indus dolphin. But it is not just us, but
what we do around and in the river also damages the
dolphin’s habitat.
One
of the
main threats
for the Indus
River dolphin
and its habitat
was
the
building of
more than 25
dams and
Save the freshwater dolphin
barrages. Maybe you don’t know how dams and
barrages work and how they damage the habitat of
the river dolphins and the other living organisms
there, such as fish and prawns. Well, when you build
a dam, you make it for two reasons - first, you want
to create a artificial reservoir for water, which you
can use for drinking and irrigating crops and fields,
and for other domestic and industrial purposes;
secondly, the main reason why you are making dams,
especially hydroelectric, is to use the water and the
force of its movements to create electric energy,
which people use in their homes and in their
everyday life. We are using the water as a renewable
Indus River Dolphin
energy source. However, this can really damage the
habitat of the animals living in the river. The Indus
River is located in Pakistan, which is in South Asia.
The climate there is definitely pretty hot, especially
during the summer. And the people have built over
25 dams and barrages in the river. This is a lot of
separating water into different small stretches. And
you can see on the photo and on the graph that when
you have a dam, the amount of the water in the river
after it is like of a “newborn” river. And if it is
summer, some small stretches can even dry up fully.
Consequently, the organisms that lived in this area
before the dam was built are going through hard
times because there is not enough water for all of
Save the freshwater dolphin
them to live without problems. In other words, the
reduce in the amount of water is leading to reduce in
the carrying capacity of the river itself and the newly
created limiting factor already started “limiting”
organism populations. So many individuals die. And
the problem with the barrages is absolutely the same.
They separate the river in many parts which follow:
good in the end, but bad for living in the beginning.
The Indus River dolphin population is that small
mainly because of this separation of its habitat. Many
dolphin communities were separated only because of
these dams and barrages - these river barriers.
Many river dolphins
are getting stuck in the
irrigation canals that are
extracting water for the
nearby farms and their
crops. However, those
irrigation canals are
very small, too small for an Indus River dolphin not
to get stuck in them. And when that happens, the
chances of anybody coming by and reporting the
Indus River Dolphin
case are so small, that many individuals reach the
fatal end without being rescued.
Save the freshwater dolphin
Some Indus River dolphins are being hunted by the
people from the local communities that live near the
river, despite the ban on fishing this river dolphin
species. Also, although by accident, many Indus
dolphins are victims of “by-catch”. This means that
they are caught in the fishing nets that the people
near the river use for hunting fish. However, these
nets are often put in forbidden areas or during the
night. And because the Blind river dolphin cannot
see, it often gets stuck in these nets. But sometimes
no one sees that and, attempting to free itself, the
dolphin may injure itself belly or even die in those
nets.
However, one of the biggest threats for the small
population of the Indus River dolphin is the
pollution. Pollution from various things. When, for
example, local people go to the river to wash their
dirty clothes, or throw away their rubbish, they
pollute the river a lot. This kind of pollution makes
the river so muddy and filthy that no one can see
anything in it. This is why the Indus River dolphin is
blind - it adapted to the condition of the river. But
there are far away more dangerous types of pollution
that are damaging the dolphin’s habitat. The water
from the river is often used for irrigating crops. But
the farmers often use pesticides and other similar
substances on their crops. Then these chemicals end
in the underground river system and go to the Indus
River, where all the living organisms consume part
of these poisonous ingredients. That’s how many
animals die from poisoning. And then we have the
big industrial corporations that are near the river and
use the water for cleaning their products or they use
it in the process of making them. But then they return
the used water in the river without cleaning it or
without it passing a water treatment plant and
processing it before returning it into the river.
Indus River Dolphin
Effect of the reduce in
the population of the
Indus River dolphin
on other species
Save the freshwater dolphin
Every time when a species goes extinct, the entire
ecosystem this organism lived in and the nearby
ecosystems have to go through many changes and
difficulties. When a entire species dies then the
animals that were eaten by this organism may start
overpopulating and the animals that used to eat this
organism may start to stave. The entire food web in
the ecosystem will have to change. In other words,
every organism that was affected somehow by this
animal now will have to change their way of life,
they have to adapt to the new situation. So if the
Indus dolphin dies than the river may overpopulate
with prawns and catfish and carps. But, fortunately,
the nature has its own way of stopping such drastic
changes. At last, after a temporary period of many
difficulties for the animals, the nature will restore the
balance in the ecosystems. But until then who knows
what will happen to us - humans? Although the Indus
dolphin does not directly affect human beings, it has
a big economical influence for the people of
Pakistan. This magnificent creature, this natural
piece of art, this mother Earth’s masterpiece has to be
protected or we will lose it once but forever.
Indus River Dolphin
Human activity
leading to a decrease
of the Indus dolphin
population
Humans are the main reason why the Indus River
dolphin is an endangered species. People build dams
and barrages, polluting the water with domestic and
industrial waste, using pesticides that end in the
water. But how can we monitor what exactly are
humans doing so as to cause the reduce in the
dolphin’s population. How to track the pollution?
How to see the difference in the water level in the
different “separated” stretches of the river? How to
find out what kind of chemicals and poisonous
ingredients end in the river? Everything we need is a
monitoring system through the entire river, because
the fact that the Indus Susu lives only on one small
stretch of the river doesn’t mean the water that is
upper and closer to the spring cannot damage the
Save the freshwater dolphin
specific habitat of the water mammal. We need to
place pollution detectors near irrigation canals, crops,
industrial factories and local villages. This way we
can measure the total amount of pollution each
“threat” is causing. And then we can come up with
ideas about how we can minimize the amount of
waste that ends in the river. Also, then we will know
what kind of water treatment the used water has to
pass through.
Indus River Dolphin
Human activity to
minimize the reduce
Humans, however, do not just watch how the small
population of the marvelous
Indus River dolphin dies out.
Many organizations are working
on protecting the dolphins and
minimizing or even stopping the
reduce in their population. WWF
(World Wide Fund for Nature) is
working with many other
organizations for saving the
Indus Susu. Also, it is tracking
the current population of the
freshwater mammals, along with
their movements, with the help of radio tags. Only
because of these radio tags, they were able to find
that the dolphins actually were able to pass the
barrages’ gates both in upstream and downstream
directions. But with the help of these radio tags
WWF can estimate the exact area of the river that
Save the freshwater dolphin
most of the dolphins leave in
and to clean it and its
surroundings. However,
WWF is doing a lot more
than just that. Since 2000 it
is working in association with SWD (Sindh Wildlife
Department) and they have rescued more than 80
dolphins that were stuck in irrigation canals. They
also teach the local fishermen, who are promoting
ecotourism in the Indus River and the local area, how
important are the freshwater dolphins for the
ecosystem of the river. And with the help of SAED
(Sindh Agricultural Extension Department) the Fund
is working on the agricultural situation near the river
in order to reduce the pollution that comes from
pesticides and other chemicals that are poisonous for
the animals that live in the water. That’s why the
Farmer Field Schools are teaching farmers how bad
for the dolphins is the inappropriate use of pesticides
and other toxic chemicals on the crops. The Pakistan
government is also taking part in protecting the
dolphins - it banned their hunting and made the river
stretch between the Sukkur and Guddu barrages a
dolphin reserve.
Save the freshwater dolphin
Indus River Dolphin
How you can minimize
the decrease?
Now you should be asking yourself: How can I
help? What can I do to save these freshwater
dolphins?
Well, if you
don’t live in
Pakistan you
probably
cannot do
much but still
you can find
out what
humans should do to protect the Indus River dolphin.
One of the first things to do is to find out all the
threats of the Indus Susu. Then we can see exactly
what we need to do so as to stop the reduce in the
population. For example, although there is a ban on
fishing this species, people are still hunting Indus
dolphins. That means that the government should
take more security measures to protect the dolphins
and then strengthen the laws in order to make people
think twice before doing something.
Before building dams
and barrages, the people
or the organization that
is sponsoring the project
should make a big
research on the different
organisms that live in
the area of the dam or
barrage. After they’ve done that, the species that will
suffer the most from the new facility should be
moved to another place, very similar to their
previous habitat. That way the nature won’t have to
say goodbye with some of its beautiful children.
Indus River Dolphin
We now know that many dolphins died stuck in
irrigation canals. So we should prevent them from
such situations in the future. We can do that by
constructing a special mechanism that doesn’t let
dolphin come too close to the canal itself so that they
do not get stuck in it. Perhaps a small mechanism
like a door that is letting only water to pass through
it. But maybe a small grid that is covering the
beginning of the canal will be enough at first place.
But we still have the problem with the pollution.
All we need to solve this problem is building small
water treatment plants in the beginning of the
dolphin’s reservation so that the water they live in is
clean and good. And in the reserve there should be
no canals, or any factories in a range of a couple of
Save the freshwater dolphin
miles. Also, we will need small facilities, like gates,
which will keep the dolphins in the reserve where
they will be safe from the various threats out there in
the wild river.
Indus River Dolphin
Epilogue
The Indus River dolphin is a magnificent creature.
And now you know it, too. We must save this
beautiful animal. We must save all the freshwater
dolphins. They are natural wonders. They belong to
this Earth. They have been here a lot more than we humans, have. So we owe them at least that - to
protect them from ourselves. We should change and
when that happens, because I am sure it will happen
Save the freshwater dolphin
one day, the world will be a more peaceful place for
living. We will be in harmony with the world around
us. We will accept everything the way it is. Because
this is how it is. We shouldn’t change the world so it
fits us better. We don’t have to be selfish. On the
contrary, we have to share what we have with the
others. And protecting this dolphin can be one of the
many steps to this wonderful world, where humans
live in harmony with nature. Maybe you are asking
yourself: why should I make this step if then other
people have to make all the others, and they are
many?!? Well, if no-one makes this very first step
then who will? We need to start the change by
ourselves and then somebody that will live in the
future will finish it. They will be the ones that will
achieve what we should have accomplished a lot
time ago. And that’s how you can change this world.
So there is only one thing left to say:
Save the Indus River
dolphin!
Save the freshwater species!
Indus River Dolphin
Sources
of information
http://www.worldwildlife.org
http://www.iucnredlist.org
http://www.eoearth.org
http://www.indianapublicmedia.org
http://www.cms.int
http://www.tumblr.com
http://www.wwf.panda.org
http://www.explorers.neaq.org
http://www.youtube.com
http://www.animalinfo.org
http://www.marinebio.org
Save the freshwater dolphin
http://www.a-z-animals.com
and many others…
Thank you for reading this book
and caring about the Indus River
dolphin!