December 5, 2017
For the first time ever, WWF and
research partners are now tracking river dolphins in the Amazon using satellite
technology after scientists successfully tagged dolphins in Brazil, Colombia
and Bolivia, attaching small transmitters that will provide new insights into
the animals' movements and behaviour and the growing threats they face.
As of today, 11 dolphins,
including both Amazonian and Bolivian river dolphins – two of
the four species of freshwater dolphin found in the world's largest river
system – have safely been tagged and researchers are already studying the
incoming data.
Despite their iconic status,
little is known about the populations, habits or key habitats of river dolphins
in the Amazon. While there are estimated to be tens of thousands of river
dolphins, the species are currently listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species. The tags will enable WWF and its partners to study
where the dolphins go, where they feed, and how far they migrate.
"Satellite tracking will
help us better understand the lives of this iconic Amazonian species more than
ever before, helping to transform our approach to protecting them and the
entire ecosystem," said Marcelo Oliveira, WWF Conservation Specialist, who
led the expedition in Brazil. "Tagging these dolphins is the start of a
new era for our work because we will finally be able to map where they go when
they disappear from sight."
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