Cambodia spots newborn rare Mekong dolphin, bringing total population to 111
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has welcomed seven newborn Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins so far this year, bringing the total population of the aquatic mammals to 111, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) said in a press release on Monday (May 26).
The latest newborn dolphin calf, about two days old, was spotted on Sunday at the Kampi dolphin pool in Kratie province's Preaek Prasab district by a team of researchers from the Fisheries Administration and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
"This newborn dolphin was seen swimming alongside a pod of four adult dolphins," the press release said. "It is the seventh dolphin calf born in 2025."
The Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphins have been listed since 2004 as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.
In 2024, the South-East Asian country recorded a total of nine newborn dolphin calves, with four deaths, according to the news release.
The MAFF estimates that to date, there are 111 Irrawaddy dolphins living along a 120-km main channel of the Mekong River in northeast Stung Treng and Kratie provinces. - Xinhua
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