The Punjab government has moved to strengthen protection for the endangered Indus dolphin by declaring a new wildlife sanctuary in the Panjnad area.
The Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department said the new sanctuary has been established as part of wider efforts to conserve rare and threatened wildlife species across the province.
A notification issued by the secretary of forests and wildlife declared the stretch of the Indus River from Jampur, Bait Lundi Pitafi to Guddu Barrage as the Panjnad Indus River Dolphin Wildlife Sanctuary until further orders.
Officials say the move is aimed at protecting the Indus dolphin as well as other wildlife species found in the area.
The Indus dolphin is one of Pakistan’s rarest freshwater species and is found only in the Indus River system. Locally known as Bhulan, it is considered unique to this region.
The species is also widely known as the blind dolphin because it is functionally blind from birth. It is mostly found in the lower parts of the Indus River.
The new sanctuary is expected to support conservation efforts in an area seen as important for the long-term survival of the species.
