A mother and her offspring of the Irrawaddy dolphin, which is an important species with less than a few hundred animals left in Myanmar, have been saved by the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), according to BANCA.

They were first found at 4:29 pm on 5 October on a sandbank near Bilin township, Mon State, while the association was carrying out its conservation activities.

The mother is about five feet long, her baby is about 2.5 feet, and they were moved by boats to a safe, deeper place by the Muthin village conservation team at 4:52 pm.

“We started our wetland, water resource, and migratory bird conservation activities during the cold season on 2 October. While we were searching for a place to rest on 5 October, a shape believed to be an Irrawaddy dolphin was seen diving and reappearing. When we zoomed it with the camera, we saw its head. After we followed it about 100 feet, we found the baby stuck ashore. Then we found its mother about 50 feet away. The third dolphin, presumably a male, entered into the creek,” said U Thaw Phyo Shwe, an official from BANCA.

BANCA has been active since 2004 to identify and conserve critically endangered species and other important areas in Myanmar in cooperation with locals, conservation teams, partner organizations, and international experts.

Recently, BANCA has initiated working with HELVETAS Myanmar to continuously conserve wetland and water resources and monitor and observe beach birds and migratory birds. — MT/ZN