As the number of Gangetic River Dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica) continue to decline in the country, the local communities have come forward to raise awareness in protecting this endangered species in Bardiya district. 

Depletion of prey species due to overfishing, habitat encroachment and fragmentation from water development projects and barrage across the main river systems serving as habitats are among the key threats to the surviving Gangetic River Dolphins, locally known as ’Susu’. 

The buffer-zone communities from Bardiya National Park (BNP), in support of the local communities and non-government organisations, organised Dolphin Festival in the district on Wednesday to  draw attention of the concerned agencies to improve protection for these important fresh-water species found in Karnali River, one of three river systems in the country where these species are recorded. 

Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, who attended the festival, urged the local students to work towards the conservation of wildlife, including dolphins, that are under serious threats from human-induced activities. 

Once distributed in their hundreds in four river systems of the country, namely Narayani, Karnali, Saptakoshi and Mahakali, there are now fewer than 30 dolphins limited in Saptakoshi, Karnali and Narayani rivers. 

A dolphin survey conducted in 2013/14 had found that the 7 km stretch, extending downstream from Koshi Barrage towards Nepal-India border, had the highest density of dolphin population. Fourteen dolphins were discovered along this stretch while the Karnali and the Narayani rivers had 12 and 2 dolphins respectively.  

The Mahakali River, where dolphins were seen in the previous studies, had no dolphin presence, the survey found.