Six Dolphin Births Raise Cambodia’s Irrawaddy Population to Estimated 118

Cambodia’s critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin population has reached an estimated 118 following the confirmed birth of six calves this year, Mongabay reported.

The calves were born along a 120-kilometer stretch of river in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces. Conservation officials described the births as evidence that the population can recover if serious environmental threats are reduced, according to the outlet.

The dolphins also support riverside livelihoods through ecotourism. Mongabay reported that boat drivers earn income taking visitors to see the animals at the protected Kampi dolphin pool in Kratie, which provides habitat for around 20 dolphins.

In Cambodia and Laos, the animals are regarded as sacred and associated with the river’s ancestral spirit, the outlet reported.

Despite the births, the population remains below late-1990s estimates of roughly 200. According to Mongabay, electrofishing, habitat degradation and entanglement in gillnets have driven the decline, with gillnets particularly dangerous for calves.

Sources

• Mongabay: Six new calves offer hope amid ongoing threats to Cambodia’s Irrawaddy dolphins