Indus river dolphins are small (1.5 - 2.5 m), grey-brown dolphins with robust bodies. Their most unusual feature is their long narrow snout. It looks like a pair of forceps and is lined with sharp cone-shaped teeth. The teeth increase in size towards the tip giving the dolphin quite a formidable appearance. The eyes are tiny - their openings are only the size of pin holes and the bhulan is almost completely blind. Indeed, they are sometimes referred to as 'blind river dolphins' and they can probably detect light and dark but little more. The bhulan finds its way around its murky river home using its very sophisticated sonar system. They use echolocation to 'see' their environment and to hunt the fish, which makes up the majority of their diet.

It is estimated that the bhulan's habitat has diminished by pproximately
80% during the past century, as the Indus has been transformed in order to provide water for irrigation and power generation. Barrages built for irrigation purposes
on the Indus have divided the river into sections and have fragmented this vulnerable population of river dolphins, making them even more prone to decline. Pakistan's irrigation canal network claims more than two-thirds of the total river flow and continuing development will probably increase this demand. Small populations trapped between barrages appear to have swindled perhaps due to animals being washed downstream during floods and inbreeding.

A further serious threat to the dolphins is entrapment in irrigation canals - the dolphins tend to enter irrigation canals during the flood season and as the water supply dries up in the dry season they become stranded and die. In the past year WDCS has been working with local conservationists and WWF-Pakistan to rescue dolphins trapped in irrigation canals reported by local people. Afterall, every animal is extremely valuable and important to the survival of the species as a whole. In recent weeks at least animals have been rescued and returned to the river, which could represent 1% of the total population!

Other threats to the bhulan include accidental capture in fishing nets, dolphins need air to breath and so once caught in a net they will drown below the surface Also the oil from dolphins is still used in a few areas in Punjab and disturbance and pollution from oil and gas exploration in the Indus poses further threats.

It is important to monitor the abundance and habitat of endangered species such as the bhulan whose numbers have been reduced and populations fragmented. To this end WDCS has joined forces with local conservationists to conduct the first ever-comprehensive survey for this highly endangered river dolphin.

WDCS is collaborating with the Pakistan Government Wildlife Departments and WWF-Pakistan to plan the first ever-thorough survey for this endangered river dolphin throughout its range. Indus river dolphins are highly endangered and live only in the Indus River of Pakistan. They are thought to number only a few hundred in total but nobody knows for sure exactly how many dolphins remain.

This project will take place in March 2001 and will enable us to estimate the numbers of surviving Indus river dolphins. We will also identify 'hotspots' of dolphin occurrence in the river, as well as the dolphins' total range. Another important aim of this project is to identify the nature, intensity and locations of threats to the surviving dolphins.

The survey project will take a full month to complete. The first few days will be devoted to intensive training of local participants from the collaborating organisations, to ensure that the survey project team is fully trained and uses standardised survey techniques. During the survey itself, we will be using two boats, which will allow us to cover all the main channels of the river. Our survey team will camp on the banks of the river each night.

On completion of this first survey in 2001, we aim to devise effective conservation measures for the Indus river dolphin. We also wish to establish an annual population monitoring survey on the entire river - and hope that, in future years, the two provinces in Pakistan (Sindh and Punjab) will continue to cooperate and carry out these essential surveys to monitor abundance of these very special dolphins and the threats they face.

If you want to find out more about WDCS and our efforts to conserve river dolphins worldwise - please visit our website www.wdcs.org

Alison Wood is the Conservation Director at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) an international charity based in the UK, where she has worked since 1990. WDCS is dedicated to the conservation, welfare and appreciation of all whales, dolphins and porpoises and is at the forefront of efforts to make the oceans and rivers of the world a safer place for these animals. Alison is responsible for WDCS's field projects all over the world, and the Society's publications and education work. She has a special interest in river dolphin conservation and has spent much time in Asia and South America working with local conservationists in their home countries on WDCS-funded river dolphin conservation programmes