A blind Indus River dolphin was found dead near Gate No. 5 of the Sukkur Barrage in the Indus River. The discovery has raised alarm among environmentalists and animal welfare advocates, as a video showing the dolphin’s lifeless body floating amid polluted waters filled with trash and plastic waste quickly circulated on social media.
Local residents first spotted the dead dolphin and alerted authorities. Witnesses reported that the body had been visible for several hours, but as of the filing of this report, wildlife department officials had yet to arrive at the scene to recover the carcass.
Preliminary observations suggest that the dolphin may have died due to shallow water levels in the Indus River. Experts warn that ongoing water shortages and declining river levels in Sindh are putting the endangered Indus River dolphin at grave risk. As water recedes, dolphins are often stranded in canals or forced into shallow areas, increasing their vulnerability to injury, death, and human interference.
The incident comes amid growing concern for the survival of the Indus River dolphin, also known as the “Queen of the Indus River.” The species is classified as endangered, with its population threatened by habitat loss, water pollution, and illegal hunting.
Earlier this year, a criminal case was filed under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Act 2020 against two individuals for killing an Indus dolphin in Dadu. The dolphin, which had strayed into the Dadu Canal, was found dead several kilometers away near the Phakka Distributary. According to Javed Mahar, Conservator of Sindh Wildlife, the culprits removed the dolphin from the canal, took photos, and posted them online, causing the animal’s skin to dry and ultimately leading to its death.
The Sindh Wildlife Department continues to investigate such incidents and urges the public to report any sightings of stranded or injured dolphins to help protect this rare and iconic species.
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