📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Yann (talk)
Science
Dehradun wildlife experts train staff for precise river dolphin count in Chambal
✍️ Amar Ujala · Rajasthan
🗓 18 Oct 2026, 05:45 PM
👁 18
Modern techniques are being deployed to accurately count river dolphins in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, with experts from the Indian Wildlife Institute training forest staff across three states.
The Indian Wildlife Institute team from Dehradun has begun training forest personnel from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to conduct a systematic census of river dolphins in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary. Using GPS‑enabled boats, acoustic monitoring devices and drone imaging, the experts aim to replace earlier rough estimates with scientifically robust numbers.
The collaborative effort, coordinated with the forest departments of the three states, marks the first use of such advanced tools in the sanctuary. In February 2026, a preliminary survey recorded 155 river dolphins, but officials say the figure could change once the full‑scale count is completed.
Officials expect the refined data to inform conservation strategies, improve habitat protection measures and help meet national biodiversity targets. The training sessions are scheduled to continue over the next few weeks, after which field teams will commence the comprehensive survey across the river stretch that runs through Dhaulpur and surrounding districts.
The collaborative effort, coordinated with the forest departments of the three states, marks the first use of such advanced tools in the sanctuary. In February 2026, a preliminary survey recorded 155 river dolphins, but officials say the figure could change once the full‑scale count is completed.
Officials expect the refined data to inform conservation strategies, improve habitat protection measures and help meet national biodiversity targets. The training sessions are scheduled to continue over the next few weeks, after which field teams will commence the comprehensive survey across the river stretch that runs through Dhaulpur and surrounding districts.