Wednesday December 21, 2022
Khmer Times —
A World Wildlife Fund (WWF) patrol on Sunday found the body of a large male dolphin floating in the Mekong River between Kratie and Stung Treng provinces.
The dead dolphin, aged between 15 and 20 years, was 2.3-metre long and weighed 162kg.
According to experts from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Administration and WWF, the dolphin is suspected to have died from exposure to fishing nets as researchers found pieces of netting on the tail surface and also scratches on its neck.
According to WWF, nine dolphins have been found dead in the country so far this year.
The Mekong dolphin is listed on the IUCN Red List as the most endangered species, ranking it as the highest of globally endangered species.