After mass extinction
Rescue operation for river dolphins in the Amazon region is underway
An employee of the Brazilian Mamiraua Institute examines a dead river dolphin. photo
© Miguel Monteiro/Institut Mamiraua/dpa
In the Brazilian Amazon region, emergency services are trying to save the freshwater dolphins that are still alive. “This is a very worrying and serious situation,” says one scientist.
After the death of dozens of freshwater dolphins in Brazil A rescue operation for the remaining animals has begun in the Amazon region. Emergency services tried to capture and examine animals living in Lake Tefé, as the television station TV Globo reported on Wednesday. In addition, carcasses of dead dolphins were recovered and autopsied to find out the cause of death. Amazon river dolphins are the largest river dolphins. They grow to around 2 to 2.5 meters tall and weigh 85 to 185 kilograms.
Most recently, 120 dead freshwater dolphins were discovered in the lake, which corresponds to around five percent of the population in the region. “This is a very worrying and serious situation,” said scientist Miriam Marmontel from the Mamirauá Institute. The exact cause of death is still unclear. However, the researchers assume that it is related to the current heat and drought in the region. “The average water temperature in Lake Tefé is 32 degrees – but recently we measured 40 degrees even at a depth of three meters,” said Marmontel.
The Amazon region is currently experiencing high temperatures and a severe drought. Many rivers in the region carry significantly less water than the average of previous years. The normal dry season is currently being reinforced by El Niño. The weather phenomenon, which occurs every few years, causes more dryness and heat in the north of Brazil, among other places.
“What is happening to the dolphins is a warning that the Amazon urgently needs to be protected and the fight against climate change needs to be stepped up,” said a statement from the environmental organization WWF. “Disasters like these may be repeated elsewhere as the region faces increasingly adverse conditions. As indicators of ecosystem health, river dolphins will continue to provide a warning of the delicate environmental situation.”