The Pioneer,BBSR(28th):
The number of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika Lake has increased to 138 against last year figure of 135, Forest Department officials said on Wednesday after a two-day-long census at the world's largest lagoon. The census was carried out with help from scientists from Japan University, Tokyo, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, Natural History Society, Mumbai, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and a few other organisations.
The census was carried out with head count as well as by using a system that records the sound of the dolphins, officials said, adding that 18 teams participated in the exercise. Irrawaddy dolphins were first recorded in this lake in 1915.
Although dolphins in Chilika are not hunted for their meat, mechanised fishing trawlers and tourist boats with large propellers often affect the mammals. The Irrawaddy dolphins are estimated to be less than 1,000 in the world.
Apart from Chilika, Irrawaddy dolphins are also found in the Songkhla Lake in Thailand. While it is difficult to spot them in Thailand, the dolphins can be easily sighted in Orissa. Adult Irrawaddy dolphins range in length from two metres to 2.75 metres and are thought to reach sexual maturity at the age of three or four years.
Adult females probably have only one calf every two to three years, officials said. The Chilika Lake, about 100 km from the State Capital, is spread over Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of the State and is home to the largest congregation of migratory birds in the country.
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