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Dolphin found dead after becoming stranded in North Sumatra's Kualuh River
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Dolphins are intelligent, athletic mammals found in the wild and captivity. (Shutterstock/File)
O
ne of two dolphins stranded in the Kualuh River over the last few days after swimming up the river was found dead by people from Kuala Beringin in Kualuh Hulu, North Labuhan Batu regency, North Sumatra, on Wednesday night.
The two marine mammals, believed to be humpback dolphins, were seen swimming on Sunday in the Kualuh River, dozens of kilometers from the sea, attracting locals who took pictures and video recordings of the animals.
Following reports about the two stranded dolphins swimming in the river, the North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) sent a team on Monday to locate the two dolphins and help them swim back out to sea.
The BKSDA has also asked a dolphin expert team from the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) to help search and save the stranded dolphins.
Yet, the BKSDA received a report about the death of one of the dolphins on Wednesday while they were still searching the river, BKSDA head Hotmauli Sianturi said.
“We have already retrieved the carcass. The team is investigating the cause of death,” Hotmauli told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
The BKSDA team is focusing on locating the whereabouts of the other dolphin, fearing that the dolphin will not survive in the river.
“Dolphins cannot survive for a long time in a river because their habitat is in the sea,” Hotmauli said, adding that his office was also investigating why the two dolphins were swimming up to the river.
Kuala Beringin subdistrict head Edi Mansur Pane said he was among those who, out of surprise and concern, informed the BKSDA about the appearance of the two dolphins.
“It’s the first time they’ve seen dolphins in the river,” Edi said. “We hope the other dolphin can be saved.”
Kuala Beringin resident Dedi said he believed the two dolphins were healthy as he had seen them jumping in and out of the water two days before the discovery of the dead dolphin.
He criticized the slow rescue effort by the BKSDA.
“Is it so hard to find the dolphins?” Dedi said.
In 2013, locals saved three bottle-nosed dolphins stranded in the Wampu River, in nearby Langkat regency. Locals helped guide the dolphins back to the sea, roughly 15 kilometers from the river, by slapping the water to create sounds. (ipa)
