10 Rare Mekong River Dolphins Recorded Dead In Cambodia In 2022: Conservationist Group

• Published date: 24 December 2022
• Publication title: ASEAN Tribune

24 December 2022 (NAM NEWS NETWORK) PHNOM PENH, Ten critically endangered Mekong River dolphins were recorded dead in Cambodia in 2022, a conservationist group said.

The latest death was an adult female of 193 cm long, aged between seven and 10 years old, weighing about 85 kg, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Cambodia said, in a press release yesterday, adding that, the Irrawaddy dolphin's carcass was discovered floating in the Mekong River, in Kratie province on Thursday by a local citizen.

'After having examined the dolphin's carcass, the research team of Kratie fisheries administration cantonment and the WWF, suggested that, the dolphin died after becoming entangled in monofilament gillnet, with signs of gillnet discovered on the fluke of the animal,' the news release said.

'This fatal incident marks the 10th death recorded in 2022, and the 28th death in the last three years. The death of a healthy adult female is especially sad, as this is a direct blow to the breeding potential...