Dolphin carcass found off Girgaon

Mumbai: A carcass of an Indian Ocean Humpback dolphin washed ashore on Girgaon Chowpatty beach on Friday. The forest department received an alert about the same in the afternoon after which officers reached the spot. The dolphin is around 8-feet-long and was found in less degraded condition, due to which it has been sent for post-mortem. This is the third incident in July of dolphins’ carcass washing ashore on city beaches.

Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forest, state mangrove cell said, “The dolphin appears to have died of natural circumstances. Since the carcass was not severely decomposed, we have sent it for post-mortem at the veterinary hospital in Parel.” After the post-mortem, the carcass will be buried at the mangrove forest in Bhandup.

The forest department is waiting for the autopsy report to know the details of the dolphin and the cause of its death. Officials said that more beaching incidents were expected along the Mumbai coast owing to the monsoon season.

The Indian Ocean humpback dolphins are protected under schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Earlier this month, a carcass of an Indo-Pacific dolphin was washed ashore Bandstand Prome-nade, just a day after huge humpback dolphin washed ashore Bandra’s Chimbai beach.