Watch: UP Fishermen consumes endangered dolphin after catching it from Yamuna , video goes viral

Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi police on Monday reported that four fishermen were charged for allegedly capturing a dolphin from the Yamuna river and consuming it, which is considered illegal.

Forest ranger of Chayal forest range, Ravindra Kumar filed a complaint on Monday stating that a Gangetic dolphin, weighing around one quintal, got trapped in a fishing net while four fishermen from Naseerpur village were fishing in the Yamuna River on the morning of July 22, as reported by Pipri SHO Shravan Kumar Singh.

"On the basis of the written information given by Forest Officer Ravindra Kumar in connection with the hunting of Gangetic dolphins in Yamuna River village Naseerpur, a case has been registered in Pipri police station. One accused has been arrested in the case, and soon the rest of the accused will be arrested," read the statement by the police.

According to Singh, after pulling the dolphin out of the river, the fishermen carried it on their shoulders to a nearby house, where they proceeded to cook and consume it.

Ravindra Kumar’s complaint also mentioned that some bystanders recorded the incident as the fishermen were taking away the dolphin. The video went viral on social media.

A case has been filed against Ranjeet Kumar, Sanjay, Deevan, Babaji and Gendalal under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), as stated by the police.

The arrested culprit has been identified as Ranjeet and is currently undergoing questioning, informed the SHO, while the others remain on the run.   

Gangetic dolphins once freely swam throughout the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers and their tributaries. However, their numbers have drastically declined due to rapid industrialisation and increased use of harmful chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers in the region.

The IUCN Red List has placed these mammals in the "endangered" category. A recent World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) report pegs their population at less than 2,000.

It is important to note that the Gangetic dolphin, classified as an endangered species, is receiving significant attention from the government in terms of conservation efforts. The hunting of these dolphins has been completely prohibited, and strict actions are taken against any illegal killing of these creatures under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

(With Inputs from PTI)