Kailali. Dolphins have started to be seen in the rivers of Kailali after the recent rains. Dolphins have started to be seen in the riverbanks of Tikapur and Bhajani municipalities of the district.
Dolphin conservationist Bhojraj Dhungana informed that four dolphins, including a baby, have been seen in the area around the Dolphin Conservation Center. ‘The water level in the rivers is rising after the onset of monsoon. Dolphins have started appearing here since Monday after the water level in the river increased,’ he said. According to him, dolphins arrived in the first week of Asad last year, but this year the dolphins have been seen a little later due to the late rains.
According to Bijayraj Shrestha, secretary of the Dolphin Conservation Center, dolphins are seen in the tributaries of the Karnali including Mohana, Patharaiya, Kanda and Kandra in the district. He said, ‘Dolphins living in various river areas of India and Nepal stay in the tributaries of the Karnali River throughout the monsoon period. In this way, the dolphins stay here for more than three months. They return to the Karnali River as soon as the monsoon ends.’
Shrestha said that dolphins come here every rainy season as the main food in this river area is fish, snails and mollusks. He said that dolphins come to these areas because of clean water, abundant food and more shelter. ‘The ‘Planivesta Gangetic’ dolphin is found here. This dolphin species is found only in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh,’ he said.
Conservation worker Dhungana said that with the arrival of dolphins in every rainy season, the number of domestic and foreign tourists increases. “Dolphins have just started to appear. In the next few days, tourists will be visiting here almost daily for observation,” he said.
Various works are being done in this area to protect and promote dolphins, which are considered important from an eco-tourism perspective. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Terai Landfill Programme, the World Conservation Union, the National Trust for Nature Conservation, and the Division Forest Office, Pahalmanpur are carrying out conservation work.
Also, Tikapur and Bhajani municipalities and Janaki rural municipality are working in the field of conservation. Dolphin festivals were also organized here four times. Dolphins were first seen in Karnali in 2054 BS.
Local Bhojraj Shrestha (Guleli Baje) had promoted dolphins after seeing them for the first time. He said that he got involved in their promotion and conservation after seeing dolphins here for the first time. ‘Initially, I took the initiative for promotion and conservation after seeing dolphins,’ he said, ‘I faced many challenges, but gradually, as I started to spread awareness about their importance, the local government, campaigners, government agencies, and others have joined the conservation campaign.’
After the monsoon season begins, citizens of India, China, Thailand, Japan, and the US, along with domestic citizens, come here to observe dolphins. The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 2029, has listed dolphins as protected wildlife.
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