Puri: The Forest department officials did not come across any dolphin in the coastal sea under Puri Wildlife Division here during a recent census.
A report on the dolphin census has been released by the Forest department February 14.
As per the report, the Forest department had constituted 10 teams to count dolphins in the coastal sea which falls under the jurisdiction of Puri Wildlife Division. The teams surveyed the costal sea under Brahmagiri, Balukhand, Konark and Astarang forest ranges and Devi and Keluni estuaries January 19. However, the surveyors could not spot any dolphin under Puri Wildlife Division, the report said.
Forest department sources claimed that altogether three teams were constituted in 2015 to count dolphins in the coastal sea under Puri Wildlife Division. However, the teams could not find a single dolphin during the census.
The Forest department had also constituted three teams in 2016 to carry out dolphin census in the coastal sea and estuaries coming under Puri Wildlife Division. The survey also failed to trace dolphins.
However, Forest department officials had spotted seven bottlenose dolphins near Puri coast during a census in 2017. The surveyors had also found five bottlenose dolphins near Keluni estuary during a census in 2018.
“Our officials did not spot any dolphin in the sea under Puri Wildlife Division during a census January 19. However, they had spotted several dolphins near Devi estuary recently. Some tourists had also spotted some dolphins on Jahania coast a few days ago,” said Puri Divisional Forest Officer Harsabardhan Udgata.
PNN