Berhampur: A dolphin census began at the Chilika lake in Odisha Monday, officials said.
Over 100 people, including retired government officers, researchers, students and experts, have taken part in counting the dolphins in the lake, they said.
The annual census is being carried out by the Chilika Wildlife Division in collaboration with the Chilika Development Authority.
A total of 18 groups, with five to six persons in each, have been involved in the enumeration exercise, said Divisional Forest Officer Amlan Nayak.
They have been equipped with maps, binoculars, spotting scopes, GPS devices and notebooks, he said.
Boats will not operate at the lake during the three-day exercise, he added.
Last year’s census was marked by adverse weather conditions and data was not released by the government. In 2023, 173 dolphins of two species were found in the lake.
The dolphins are categorised as endangered species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
PTI