Another dolphin, this time pregnant, killed by poachers in Katwa area
The Statesman | 30 January 2026
The carcass of yet another Gangetic dolphin was found on the banks of the Bhagirathi river in Katwa yesterday and, as in the previous case, it had been killed by poachers, experts said after examination.
The carcass was that of a matured female dolphin. It was recovered close to Char Bishnupur near Agradwip, about 30 km by road from Katwa town. The eight-foot long aquatic mammal was apparently done to death by the poachers using an iron fishing blade that was still stuck on its back.
The forest ranger of Katwa, Shibaprasad Singha, said: “The cruelty is all the more pronounced because it was pregnant. We suspect that the docile creature was killed by the miscreants for the purpose of extracting oil. A hunt has begun for the perpetrators.”
Dolphins are a highly protected species in India. The Gangetic River Dolphin is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, granting it the highest level of protection against poaching and habitat destruction, the forest ranger said. It was also declared India’s National Aquatic Animal in 2009.
On 22 January, the carcass of a baby dolphin was found hanging from a tree at Jhaudanga in the same Agradwip area. A bucket was attached near its neck for the purpose of collecting oil from it. Oil from dolphins is primarily used as a traditional medicine to treat ailments like rheumatism, asthma, and skin issues, and as a potent, illegal fish bait, especially for catching catfish. It is also used as an aphrodisiac.
“Officially, this is the ninth such cruel murder since March 2025. But according to my estimate, this will be 11th within a 20-km stretch of the river here on the Katwa-Nadia border,” said Ganesh Chowdhury, voluntary Dolphin Conservator operating from Nayachar in Katwa. He pointed out: “A section of the fishermen community are killing the Gangetic dolphins for oil. The extracted oil they use for fishing in the river as its smell attracts shoals of fish.”