Extremely rare river creatures saved from shallows in Myanmar. See the rescue

A pair of Irrawaddy dolphins — an extremely rare river species — were recently rescued along the coast of Myanmar.

The two animals — a mother and her offspring — were discovered on Oct. 5 in shallow, vegetation-filled water in Kyun Thar Yar, a small town on the Bay of Bengal.

Officials from the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), who were carrying out work in town, quickly sprang into action to save the animals, according to an Oct. 9 news release.

They carried the dolphins by hand and with a large tarp and then placed them onto wooden boats, photos show.

The animals measured between five and six feet long, according to the Popular News Journal, a Myanmar newspaper.

The smaller of the two dolphins was kept in a large plastic container filled with water, photos show.

At least one of the dolphins was successfully released in deeper water, according to BANCA. The whole operation took less than one hour.

Irrawaddy dolphins, which are named after Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady River, are extremely endangered, according to Riverdolphins.org, a website commissioned by the World Wildlife Foundation.

Throughout southeast Asia, there are believed to be around 250 individuals left. In Myanmar alone, it is estimated that between 59 and 72 individuals remain.

They face threats from entanglements with nets, boat collisions and river contamination, according to the website.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from BANCA and an article from the Popular News Journal.

This story was originally published October 16, 2024 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Extremely rare river creatures saved from shallows in Myanmar. See the rescue."