Bolivia finishes rescue of 12 pink river dolphins

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Washington Post

Bolivia finishes rescue of 12 pink river dolphins
The Associated Press
Sunday, August 29, 2010; 12:51 PM

http://media3.washingtonpost.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-dyn/content/photo/2010/08/29/PH2010082901386.jpg

After being rescued, a baby pink dolphin is taken care
by biologists at the Pailas river in Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
Monday, Aug. 23 , 2010. Biologists and environmental
activists are trying to rescue dolphins trapped in early
July in the Pailas river, a tributary of the Rio Grande
river, north of the city of Santa Cruz, when drought
caused water levels to drop. (AP Photo/Dado Galdieri)
(Dado Galdieri - AP)

LA PAZ, Bolivia -- Bolivian biologists say they have finished rescuing 12 pink, freshwater dolphins who were trapped in a river.

Rescue team member Mariana Escobar says the six-day effort to free the dolphins finished on Thursday.

The animals had swum from their normal home in the Rio Grande into the more tranquil Rio Paila to breed. Flooding blocked the river and prevented them from returning to their habitat. They were at risk of dying as the dry season lowers the smaller river.

Rescuers caught the dolphin in nets and carried them in padded containers in an all-terrain vehicle to the larger river, where they were released.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/29/AR2010082901384.html

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(more photos)

[another saigon]

1. I did not think there were that many left.

perhaps I am confusing them with the fresh water dolphins that used to live in the Yangtze River in China? They are so beautiful.

[Judi Lynn]

2. I found an article after seeing your post which indicates there are more in South America

than you'd think, at least for the moment.

Counting River Dolphins in South America

Bolivia hosted a week long trip along the rivers Ichilo (Santa Cruz and Cochabamba) and Mamoré (Beni), as a part of the River Dolphin Monitoring Initiative for South America, a year long joint effort carried out by Omacha Foundation (Colombia), The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) and WWF Colombia in the Amazon and Orinoco watersheds: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. In July, in coordination with the Bolivian General Management for Biodiversity, Faunagua and WWF Bolivia, the Itenez River (Beni, Bolivia) will be the last leg of this continental river dolphin monitoring effort.

http://www.boliviabella.com.nyud.net:8090/images/wwf-bolivia-wildlife-river-dolphins.jpg

In Venezuela (June, 2006) the results of the expedition observed 270 Dolphins, while in Ecuador (July, 2006) 40 were sighted. The results for Colombia (August, 2006) reported 131 River dolphins (Inia geoffrensis); in Peru (September 2006) 818 were reported for both River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) and Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis). During the 240 km trip along the Amazonas, Atacuarí and Javarí rivers, between Colombia, Brazil and Peru (February, 2007), the group of scientists from Omacha Foundation spotted 520 Dolphins and expressed that the results obtained from previous expeditions indicate that the population of Dolphin in the Amazon River is healthier versus the one in the Orinoco River.

In spite of healthy population, the census along the Amazon River did expose the serious threats that directly affect this ecosystem. The drastic deforestation process caused by illegal logging and burning, as well as infrastructure development projects, added to contamination and climate change, are rapidly destroying the most important extension of natural forest in the world.

More:
http://www.boliviabella.com/river-dolphins.html

http://www.bigtravelweb.com.nyud.net:8090/images/amazon-river-dolphin-l.jpg

http://www.sea-way.org.nyud.net:8090/blog/AmazonDolphin2.JPG

http://www.unique-southamerica-travel-experience.com.nyud.net:8090/images/pink-dolphin-copia.jpg

[another saigon]

7. Those photos are gorgeous!

Incredible! I am glad to know there is an actual population.

Yet I can not help but think of the additional crap coming from the Rio Grande into their environment. :(

[Judi Lynn]

8. It shocked me to learn there were dolphins who live in fresh water!

Imagine my surprise to learn, last week, there are fresh water SEALS living in Lake Baikal, in Russia. I had to see them immediately and raced to google images to get a look:

http://www.greenpeace.org.nyud.net:8090/raw/image_big_teaser/russia/en/photosvideos/photos/455135.jpg http://polaris.nipr.ac.jp.nyud.net:8090/~penguin/penguiness/seals/phocinae/baikal.jpg

http://www.mircorp.com.nyud.net:8090/images/blogtsib/Baikal_Irkutsk_Gallery_06.jpg

http://www.arkive.org.nyud.net:8090/media/66/662DA608-76A9-4940-ADD2-742D2E63FA07/Presentation.Large/photo.jpg

Baikal Seals! Are these guys chubby, or WHAT?
:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[another saigon]

13. omg!

Fantastic!

It truly gives me hope. Thank you Judi Lynn!

:)

[Larkspur]

3. Rick O'Barry, Flipper's trainer, would be proud

Anyone catch the show "Blood Dolphins" Friday night?

[Judi Lynn]

4. No, did you? I was afraid I couldn't cope with what I believed they would show.

I believe it concerns what happens to these intelligent, innocent animals when the Japanese people in a certain area trap them annually and beat them to death. My God. How could they? How can anyone justify it? Jesus H. Christ.

It would take someone very determined to find out about it to withstand it. I am not strong enough, unfortunately, to emotionally survive the images.

[NCarolinawoman]

6. I feel the same way.

:-( :hug:

[Judi Lynn]

9. It kills you just to learn it happens, for sure. Thank you.

:hug: :cry:

[Anakin Skywalker]

15. I Am Aware of the Show, and the Sad, Disgusting Situation.

I just couldn't bring myself to watch. The images would undoubtedly make me very angry.

[pgodbold]

5. It's not easy being pink. nt

[Downwinder]

10. Are there or were there freshwater dolphins in the northern hemisphere? n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

11. China had blind Yagntze River dolphins -- now believed extinct. nt

[Skittles]

12. when humans are good, they are very good

yes

[pitohui]

14. drought! rained like hell when i was there not too long ago

guess i'm just lucky like that

seriously since rain clouds follow me around i should get off my duff and head back, wonderful country, lots of wildlife

it would be an honor play "rainmaker"!!!

we drove for like a mile on a dried up dusty road that our GPS insisted was a "river" should have been my first clue train there was a drought, huh, but all that rain fooled me

[xchrom]

16. Bravo Bolivia! Nt