Ganges River Dolphin

National Aquatic Animal: Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica).

 Habitat: Found mainly in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

 Freshwater species: Lives exclusively in freshwater rivers and cannot survive in seawater.

 Blind dolphin: It is functionally blind—it relies on echolocation (sound waves) to navigate, find food, and communicate.

 Diet: Feeds on fish, turtles, and other small aquatic organisms.  Conservation status: Listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List due to pollution, dam construction, and fishing net entanglements.

 Declared as National Aquatic Animal: In 2009, by the Government of India to raise awareness about river conservation.

 Ecological indicator: Considered an important indicator of river health — a healthy dolphin population reflects a healthy river ecosystem.

 Conservation programs: Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and covered by programs like Project Dolphin launched in 2020.

 Major locations: Ganga River (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal), Brahmaputra River (Assam), and Chambal River (Madhya Pradesh).