Female dolphin captured!

A nearly nine-year old female dolphin was captured from Naikanchandi gorge near Tentuligaon today by a dolphin expert Dr Sandeep Behera and translocated it to the Panchaputuli gorge of river Budhabalanga immediately.

Mr Behera, popularly known as the ''Dolphin man'' world over, has currently been working as the Co-ordinator of the WWF-India sponsored Dolphin Project.

He said the translocation of the dolphin at the Panchaputuli gorge, about fifty kilometers downstream of Budhabalanga river, as the gorge might dry up during the summer.

Mr Behera said the dolphin measuring 5'-3'' in length and 150 kgs in weight was quite stout and healthy.

The dolphin expert identified it as a 'Ganges river' dolphin (Scientific name--platanispa gangetica) and opined that it might have entered the Budhabalanga river from its habitat in Hooghly river through the Chandipur-on-sea route.

Simlipal Tiger Reserve Field Director Debabrata Swain said the dolphin expert was requested to visit the site where it was seen in the river and translocate in a suitable habitat.

Meanwhile, Dr Behera said he had conceived a dolphin project in the state and would soon launch a survey on the existence of dolphin in at least twenty major rivers in the state.