Five Irrawaddy dolphins rescued by local stranding network
Petch Manopawitr, Deputy Head of IUCN Southeast Asia Group and Director of the IUCN Thailand/Cambodia Transborder Coastal Dolphin Project shared a video link of five Irrawaddy dolphins that became stranded on 5 May 2016 behind a bamboo fence built to prevent erosion at Krasakao Village in the upper Gulf of Thailand near Bangkok. Volunteers from a local dolphin stranding network and staff from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources spent a hot afternoon rescuing and successfully releasing the dolphins back to sea. Petch said that the video shows the success of training provided by IUCN to the dolphin stranding network and the positive local support they have generated for dolphin conservation. The dedication of these local people for saving these dolphins under extremely difficult conditions in the deep mud is inspiring and it bodes well for the long-term success of conservation efforts for Irrawaddy dolphins in the Gulf of Thailand.
The video can be accessed here.