New sanctuary protects Pakistan's Indus River dolphins
Punjab's government has created the Punjnad Indus River Dolphin Sanctuary, the province's first protected area set aside for the endangered freshwater species. The sanctuary covers about 123 miles of the Indus River, at the spot where five rivers meet, which gives the reserve its name: Punjnad, or "five rivers." Nearly two-thirds of Punjab's roughly 660 dolphins live in this stretch. The new area links to an existing protected zone in Sindh Province, extending the connected habitat to about 249 miles, roughly the length of New York State, according to World Wildlife Fund.
Fishing communities and river wildlife along the Indus now share a protected stretch of habitat, as one of the world's rarest freshwater dolphins gains room to recover.
Source: Indus River dolphins benefit from new protected area in Pakistan (worldwildlife.org). Spotted via Good News Network.
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