New species of river dolphin discovered in the Amazon
New species of river dolphin discovered in the Amazon
mongabay.com
April 30, 2008
Researchers have identified a new species of river dolphin in the Bolivian Amazon according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS). The announcement was made at a conservation workshop in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia.
The Bolivian dolphin (Inia boliviensis) is smaller and lighter colored than the better known boto or Amazon pink river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) found widely in the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. It also has more teeth.
The species, which was immediately adopted as a flagship species for Bolivian conservation efforts, is found only in the Bolivian Amazon, isolated from other species by a series of rapids between Bolivia and Brazil.
While the Bolivian dolphin lives in a remote part of the Amazon, it is threatened by pollution and fishing practices. Other Amazon river dolphins are endangered by hydroelectric projects, mining, boat traffic, and deforestation. Researchers estimate that up to 1500 Amazon dolphins are killed by fishermen as bait per year.
 Bolivian dolphins (Inia boliviensis). Image courtesy of WDCS. |
“River dolphins are amongst the most endangered of all whale and dolphin species. The pressures on them are immense, as was highlighted by the recent news of the extinction of the baiji in Asia,” WDCS-funded researcher Fernando Truijillo said. “Urgent action is needed if we are to prevent Amazon River dolphins from suffering the same fate.”
Truijillo recently completed a survey to estimate the number of freshwater dolphins living in the Orinoco and Amazon River basins. The series of seven expeditions sighted 3,188 dolphins in five countries.
Truijillo says that a region-wide ban on the killing of dolphins for bait and the promotion of more sustainable fishing practices would reduce pressure on Amazon dolphin populations.
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