A threatened Indus River Dolphin, commonly known as the blind dolphin, was found dead near port # 5 of the Sukkur barrier Wednesday and raised fresh concerns about the species’ survival in the midst of deteriorating river conditions.

A video circulating on social media showed the dolphin’s lifeless body flowing in contaminated water filled with plastic waste. The recordings have given rise to alarm among environmentalists and animal rights groups.

The locals discovered the dolphin and warned the authorities, but the wildlife officials had not yet picked up the carcass after the filing of this report.

The original reports suggest that the dolphin may have died due to falling water levels in the river Indus, which has left parts of the riverbound dangerously low. Conservationists warn that falling river flows increase the risk of injury and death of the critically endangered species already threatened by the loss of habitats and human activity.

Experts say that when the water level falls, dolphins are often stranded in ducts or limited to shallow water pockets, making them very vulnerable.

The incident follows a similar case earlier this year when two people were indicted under Sindh Wildlife Protection Act 2020 for killing a rare Indus Delphin in the Dadu channel. The animal’s body was found several miles downstream after being removed from the water and left to die.

Conservation officials call for urgent measures to protect the species erected as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is considered an important part of the Indus River ecosystem.