The Brahmaputra River system within India is one of the major habitats of the Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica), which is an endangered species of freshwater dolphin found in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Due to various anthropogenic pressures, the species has been declining at a rapid rate over the past two decades, to only a few hundred individuals today. With an aim to reduce this rate of decline, the Gangetic Dolphin Research and Conservation Programme of Aaranyak has been working systematically on the conservation issues in this habitat from 2004 onwards, and I have been leading the programme from its inception.

Dr. Abdul Wakid (front left), intern Laura Bagge (front right), intern Mackenzie Consoer (back left) and graduate student Katie McHugh (back right).

      My experience on the Gangetic dolphin over the past several years has led me to understand that to develop our research-based conservation initiatives, it is essential to learn the latest research techniques from highly professional dolphin research groups. To this end, I was able to work with the SDRP from10 July until 5 September 2007.
      Within this two-month period, I worked with seven different research projects: juvenile study, depredation study, biopsy darting, prey-base study (purse seining), dolphin monitoring, necropsy, and acoustics. Besides the SDRP scientists, I also worked with colleagues from Argentina, Mexico, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, USA, UK, and Japan on different aspects of dolphin research and conservation. With an extension of the training, I also got the opportunity to work with the University of South Florida (Dr. David Mann) and the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund.
      The whole experience in SDRP was wonderful and very effective for me. The professionalism, management and the hospitality of the staff and biologists of the SDRP are very impressive. All the new techniques that I learned with the researchers of the SDRP are new and promising for me, and some are likely to be effective in Gangetic dolphin research and conservation in India.