After the death of more than a hundred freshwater dolphins in the Amazon region of Brazil, a rescue operation for the remaining animals has now begun. Emergency services are trying to capture and examine dolphins living in Lake Tefé, television channel TV Globo reported on Wednesday.
In addition, the carcasses of dead dolphins were recovered and autopsies were performed to obtain information about the exact cause of death of the animals. “This is a very worrying and serious situation,” said scientist Miriam Marmontel of the Mamirauá Institute.
High water temperature responsible for death?
The researchers believe that the dolphin deaths are related to the current heat and drought in the region. “The average water temperature in Lake Tefé is 32 degrees, but recently we measured 40 degrees even at a depth of three meters,” Marmontel explains.
Amazon river dolphins are the largest river dolphins. They are two to 2.5 meters long and reach a weight of 85 to 185 kilograms. Recently, 120 dead freshwater dolphins were discovered in the lake, equivalent to about five percent of the region’s population.
El Niño intensifies the usual drought
The Amazon region is currently experiencing high temperatures and severe drought. Many rivers in the region transport significantly less water than the average of previous years. The normal dry season is currently enhanced by El Niño. The weather phenomenon, which occurs every few years, causes more drought and heat in the north of Brazil, among other places.
“What is happening to the dolphins is a warning that the Amazon region needs to be urgently protected and the fight against climate change needs to be stepped up,” said a statement from the environmental organization WWF. “Disasters like this could be repeated elsewhere as the region faces increasingly unfavorable conditions. As indicators of ecosystem health, river dolphins will continue to provide a warning of the delicate environmental situation.”
Source: Krone
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