25 dolphins found dead, 7 returned to the sea in Bazaruto National Park – ANAC

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25 dolphins found dead, 7 returned to the sea in Bazaruto National Park – ANAC

6:15 CAT | 23 Feb 2021

Photo: ANAC

The Ministry of Land and Environment, through the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), announced that 32 Stenella longirostris dolphins beached in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park on Sunday morning (21-02), 25 of them losing their lives, and seven being returned to the sea by park personnel.

Of the 25 animals which died, 11 were males and 14 females. Twelve of the latter were adults; one was a juvenile and one a baby dolphin. None of the dolphins showed any signs of injury, and an investigation is underway to establish the cause of death.

The viscera were extracted with the intention of checking if they had consumed anything toxic, but nothing was found. The Park will send samples to the laboratory for further analysis, the ANAC promising to update the public on the ongoing investigation.

Park personnel are on patrol in order to monitor the status of the seven animals returned to the sea, but by Monday afternoon (22-02), there were no signs that they had returned to the coast, suggesting that they have survived so far.

The bodies of the 25 dolphins which died were incinerated, as per the protocol for animals found dead in conservation areas.

The Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, by reason of its combination of shallow and deep waters, isolation and the ready availability of nutrients, boasts marine mammals such as dugongs, whales, dolphins, as well as 180 species of birds, 45 of reptiles, 16 of land mammals, 500 species of marine and coastal molluscs and 2,000 species of fish.

Located in the province of Inhambane and the first marine park in the country, the 1,430 km2 Bazaruto Archipelago National Park was created on May 25, 1971.

Source: ANAC