{"id":1546,"date":"2026-09-18T00:57:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T00:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/18\/unicorn778-mekongs-irrawaddy-dolphins-find-cautious-hope-amid-a-river-in-crisis-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T00:57:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T00:57:12","slug":"unicorn778-mekongs-irrawaddy-dolphins-find-cautious-hope-amid-a-river-in-crisis-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/18\/unicorn778-mekongs-irrawaddy-dolphins-find-cautious-hope-amid-a-river-in-crisis-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 Mekong\u2019s Irrawaddy dolphins find cautious hope amid a river in crisis Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-329840\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>Irrawaddy dolphins, the Mekong River\u2019s sole cetaceans, are viewed as sacred animals by Mekong communities, and are also an important source of tourism revenue.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The species\u2019 population has dropped steeply since the 1990s, due to hunting, entanglement in fishing gear and habitat degradation.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The Anlong Chheu Teal pool, along the Laos-Cambodia border stands as a cautionary tale: The pool\u2019s last dolphin died in 2022, and tourism subsequently cratered.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Six calves were confirmed to be born this year in Cambodia, increasing the population to 118 and bringing hope that the species can rebound if dolphins and their habitats are protected<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>KAMPI, Cambodia \u2014 At nine in the morning, the sun beats down on the Mekong River as Heang Koeurn turns off the motor of his boat and bobs on the water. He has done this every morning for 11 years, and he still leans forward the same way when he waits: elbows on his knees, eyes scanning the water for a gray curve to break the surface. Finally, he spots what he\u2019s looking for: Irrawaddy dolphins, the river\u2019s sole cetaceans.<\/p>\n<p>Just meters away, a boat carries about half a dozen foreign tourists who squint and point as, one after another, the dorsal fins of a group of Irrawaddy dolphins (<em>Orcaella brevirostris<\/em>) crest above the water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIrrawaddy dolphins are very important for our community,\u201d Koeurn says, drifting his boat slowly on the water. \u201cPeople here can make more income from tourists by driving them to see the beauty of Irrawaddy dolphins.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the Mekong River, a lifeline for millions of people across Southeast Asia, is in ecological crisis, threatening the survival of Irrawaddy dolphins \u2014 and with it the livelihoods and traditions of communities along the river.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330088\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125303\/9825-boat-driver-Heang-Koeurn.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330088\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125303\/9825-boat-driver-Heang-Koeurn.jpg\" alt=\"Every morning, boat driver Heang Koeurn takes tourists for dolphin sightseeing at Kampi pool. \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125303\/9825-boat-driver-Heang-Koeurn.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125303\/9825-boat-driver-Heang-Koeurn-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125303\/9825-boat-driver-Heang-Koeurn-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125303\/9825-boat-driver-Heang-Koeurn-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125303\/9825-boat-driver-Heang-Koeurn-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Every morning, boat driver Heang Koeurn takes tourists for dolphin sightseeing at Kampi pool. Image by Eung Sea for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Habitat in tatters<\/h2>\n<p>The Mekong River cuts through northern Stung Treng province along Cambodia\u2019s border with Laos, where deep pools shelter unique aquatic species such as the giant freshwater stingray.<\/p>\n<p>The Kampi pool, a 60-meter- (nearly 200-feet-) deep stretch of the river in Cambodia\u2019s Kratie province, is one of three deep pools that are home to the Mekong\u2019s last surviving population of Irrawaddy dolphins.<\/p>\n<p>The population of these dolphins in Cambodia\u2019s stretch of the Mekong River has collapsed from an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020-Trinational-Irrawaddy-Workshop-Report.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">200 individuals<\/a> in the late 1990s to a little over 100 today, with losses driven by hunting, bycatch in gillnets, and habitat degradation. The species has already been lost in most of its historic range, which once spanned the Mekong Delta, the Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong\u2019s tributaries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDolphins are important for various reasons,\u201d says Ian Baird, professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S., who has researched the impact of large dams in the Mekong. \u201cThey have economic value related to tourism. They also have value in relation to cultural and environmental heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are a source of Cambodian national and local pride,\u201d he says. \u201cThey may also inspire people to protect the river and its tributaries from the impacts of more dams in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Irrawaddy dolphins are regarded as sacred animals in both Laos and Cambodia, with communities across the Mekong River in Cambodia treating the dolphins as representing the ancestral spirit of the river.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330095\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125346\/9866-pair-of-freshwater-Irrawaddy-dolphins.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330095\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125346\/9866-pair-of-freshwater-Irrawaddy-dolphins.jpg\" alt=\"A pair of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) come up for breath in a deep-water Kampi pool\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125346\/9866-pair-of-freshwater-Irrawaddy-dolphins.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125346\/9866-pair-of-freshwater-Irrawaddy-dolphins-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125346\/9866-pair-of-freshwater-Irrawaddy-dolphins-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125346\/9866-pair-of-freshwater-Irrawaddy-dolphins-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125346\/9866-pair-of-freshwater-Irrawaddy-dolphins-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A pair of freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) come up for breath in a deep-water Kampi pool in Cambodia. Image by Eung Sea for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite ongoing conservation efforts and the species\u2019 spiritual and economic importance, its future is at risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe main threats are gillnets and electrofishing. Many people in our community are aware of the importance of conservation but people from other places tend to intrude into our community fishing grounds to commit these crimes,\u201d Koeurn says.<\/p>\n<p>The proliferation of dams has also profoundly changed the ecology of the river. To date, there are more than 160 operational dams along the Mekong River and its tributaries, including <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2023\/03\/as-hydropower-dams-quell-the-mekongs-life-force-what-are-the-costs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">13 dams on the mainstream<\/a>. Baird says that upstream dams are not known to be directly killing Mekong\u2019s Irrawaddy dolphins, but they are altering the river\u2019s hydrology, degrading seasonally flooded forests and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/sustainable-food-systems\/articles\/10.3389\/fsufs.2019.00093\/full\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">changing fish communities<\/a> that dolphins depend on for food.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125312\/0018-tourists-wait-quietly-aboard-a-boat.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330089\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125312\/0018-tourists-wait-quietly-aboard-a-boat.jpg\" alt=\"Around half a dozen tourists wait quietly aboard a boat\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125312\/0018-tourists-wait-quietly-aboard-a-boat.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125312\/0018-tourists-wait-quietly-aboard-a-boat-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125312\/0018-tourists-wait-quietly-aboard-a-boat-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125312\/0018-tourists-wait-quietly-aboard-a-boat-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125312\/0018-tourists-wait-quietly-aboard-a-boat-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Around half a dozen tourists wait quietly aboard a boat, squinting and pointing at where they see a group of dolphins surface for breath above the reflected sunlight. Image by Eung Sea for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>The fight against illegal fishing<\/h2>\n<p>Veang Tino, a patroller based at the Kampi Conservation Centre, says the main killer of Irrawaddy dolphins is not overt poaching for meat or trade, but accidental entanglement in fishing gear \u2014 especially gillnets and long-line hooks set illegally in core habitats. Calves are particularly vulnerable, often dying when their mothers become trapped or when they stray into nets themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Electrofishing is banned throughout Cambodia, but gillnets are only prohibited within <a href=\"https:\/\/wwf.panda.org\/wwf_news\/?206525\/Protecting-dolphins-in-the-Mekong-River--support-from-the-local-community-is-needed\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">protected core habitat zones<\/a> along a 180-kilometer (112-mile) stretch of the river in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, established in 2012 to conserve the dolphins. In the same year, the fisheries department <a href=\"https:\/\/phnompenhpost.com\/national\/dolphin-guards-request-more-equipment-as-illegal-fishing-persists\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">employed 72 river guards<\/a> to patrol this part of the Mekong River to stop fishers from using illegal methods in the Irrawaddy dolphin habitat. By 2025, the Ministry of Land Management <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwf.org.kh\/our_work\/diving_into_the_mekong_irrawaddy_river_dolphins\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">designated<\/a> the habitat as state land.<\/p>\n<p>The depth of the Kampi pool helps shelter the mammals from fishers\u2019 nets, but they are more vulnerable when they enter surrounding waters, Tino explains.<\/p>\n<p>Officials say law enforcement has improved but remains uneven. In 2022 alone, about 36,000 meters (118,110 feet) of gillnets, 7,000 fishing hook nets, and 500 m (1,640 ft) of mesh fishing nets were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.khmertimeskh.com\/501375044\/fishing-season-open-restrictions-remain\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">confiscated<\/a> and destroyed in the protected zones.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330087\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17124107\/dead-irrrawady-dolphin.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330087\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17124107\/dead-irrrawady-dolphin.jpg\" alt=\"A dead Irrawady dolphin in a boat in Kampi.\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17124107\/dead-irrrawady-dolphin.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17124107\/dead-irrrawady-dolphin-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17124107\/dead-irrrawady-dolphin-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A dead Irrawady dolphin in a boat in Kampi, 2009. Image by CRDTKratie via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/crdt\/5839625757\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/2.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC-SA 2.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330101\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130010\/0133-confiscated-gillnets.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330101\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130010\/0133-confiscated-gillnets.jpg\" alt=\"Gillnets confiscated from the Kampi dolphin pool's habitat zone sit in piles inside a patrol station.\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130010\/0133-confiscated-gillnets.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130010\/0133-confiscated-gillnets-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130010\/0133-confiscated-gillnets-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130010\/0133-confiscated-gillnets-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130010\/0133-confiscated-gillnets-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gillnets confiscated from the Kampi dolphin pool\u2019s habitat zone sit in piles inside a patrol station. Image by Eung Sea for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe cannot leave Irrawaddy dolphins behind as they are the Mekong River\u2019s ecological treasure. The use of gillnets is the main threat to them. That is why conservation efforts must be enforced to combat the illegal fishing methods,\u201d Tino says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need everyone, from the local community themselves to the government, working in tandem with each other to conserve Irrawaddy dolphins,\u201d he says. \u201cLaw enforcement does not have full capacity to address these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He adds that patrollers are generally concentrated around the Kampi pool, following the dolphins\u2019 behavior patterns. But illegal fishers are able to observe and adapt to the patrollers\u2019 patterns, while patrols have limited numbers and lack equipment.<\/p>\n<p>At the Kampi river guard station, a sparse building on the river shore adorned with faded river maps and fish identification posters, patroller Kem Sophat says river guards face real physical risk when confronting illegal fishers, who sometimes carry weapons and have been known to use violence to protect their operations.<\/p>\n<p>Sophat also complains about river guards\u2019 low income from their taxing work. River guards, he adds, earn $5-$7.50 per day of patrolling, while using their own boats for patrols and paying for their own meals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe come from other parts of Kratie,\u201d Sophat says. \u201cIt is quite far from where we are based to do patrolling. The income is small, but it is out of the goodness of our hearts we keep doing this job because we specialize in patrolling.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330091\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125323\/0126-Veang-Tino.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330091\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125323\/0126-Veang-Tino.jpg\" alt=\"Veang Tino, a patroller based at the Kampi Conservation Centre\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125323\/0126-Veang-Tino.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125323\/0126-Veang-Tino-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125323\/0126-Veang-Tino-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125323\/0126-Veang-Tino-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125323\/0126-Veang-Tino-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Veang Tino, a patroller based at the Kampi Conservation Centre, attributes the decline in the dolphin population to electrofishing and accidental entanglement in gillnets set by illegal fishers in core habitat zones. Image by Eung Sea for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>\u2018Like losing a star from the sky\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWe should care about these dolphins for many reasons. Intrinsically they are a very beautiful part of nature,\u201d says Frances Gulland, chair of the U.S.-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/meet-the-commission\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Marine Mammal Commission<\/a>, an independent government agency. \u201cWe lose them, we lose a species, another species lost from the earth, which is like losing a star from the sky. For communities along the Mekong, they provide livelihoods through ecotourism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For one Cambodian village, the cost of failed conservation is impossible to ignore. Anlong Chheu Teal dolphin pool, which straddles the Laos-Cambodia border, lost its last Irrawaddy dolphin in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBefore, we didn\u2019t have enough boats to drive to see Irrawaddy dolphins and Mekong treasures like the flooded forest, when there were still Irrawaddy dolphins, and the ecotourism was well organized,\u201d says Phoy Vanna, community leader of Anlong Chheu Teal. \u201cBut the number of tourists has declined since the last Irrawaddy dolphin died in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Vanna recalls that in 2007 there were eight dolphins in this stretch of the river. By 2018, only three remained.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330108\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130314\/Irrawaddy-dolphins-in-Cambodia.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330108\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130314\/Irrawaddy-dolphins-in-Cambodia.jpg\" alt=\"Irrawaddy dolphins \" width=\"2048\" height=\"1392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130314\/Irrawaddy-dolphins-in-Cambodia.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130314\/Irrawaddy-dolphins-in-Cambodia-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130314\/Irrawaddy-dolphins-in-Cambodia-1536x1044.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130314\/Irrawaddy-dolphins-in-Cambodia-1200x816.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17130314\/Irrawaddy-dolphins-in-Cambodia-610x415.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Irrawaddy dolphins are regarded as sacred animals in both Laos and Cambodia, with communities across the Mekong River in Cambodia treating the dolphins as representing the ancestral spirit of the river. Image \u00a9 Marc Thibault via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inaturalist.org\/observations\/332999027\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">iNaturalist<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC 4.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The last one, a male dolphin named \u201cthe lonely dolphin\u201d by the community, was <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2022\/04\/death-of-last-river-dolphin-in-laos-rings-alarm-bells-for-mekong-population\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">reported dead on Feb. 15, 2022<\/a>, after being entangled in illegal fishing gear \u2014 marking the extinction of the Irrawaddy dolphin in this section of the Mekong River. Vanna says that dolphin bones were displayed for visitors at the community hall to commemorate the species\u2019 presence and importance to the community.<\/p>\n<p>He says he has witnessed firsthand the change in the Mekong. He points to fluctuating water levels caused by dam construction and climate change as a major threat. \u201cThese changes are threatening the river\u2019s ecosystem,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>When a Mongabay reporter visited the Anlong Chheu Teal dolphin community in late April this year, the Don Sahong Dam could be clearly seen just a short distance away. It is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.earth.com\/environment\/don-sahong-dam-threatens-lives-of-millions-in-southeast-asia\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">located<\/a> less than 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Cambodian border in southern Laos, and has been <a href=\"https:\/\/hobomaps.com\/DonSahongDam.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">operating<\/a> on the Mekong since 2020. Researchers have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/232894456_THE_DON_SAHONG_DAM_Potential_Impacts_on_Regional_Fish_Migrations_Livelihoods_and_Human_Health\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">identified<\/a> the site as a critical gateway for fish migration throughout the Lower Mekong Basin.<\/p>\n<p>Interviews with villagers echo Vanna\u2019s assessment. \u201cWhen all the dolphins died, only about 40% of tourists still came to see the tree roots, the waterfall and other sites along the river,\u201d one boat driver says. \u201cThings are changing for the worse,\u201d he laments. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to make a living.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330092\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125328\/9536-Don-Sahong-hydropower-dam.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330092\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125328\/9536-Don-Sahong-hydropower-dam.jpg\" alt=\"The Don Sahong hydropower dam sits less than 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Cambodian border in Laos. \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125328\/9536-Don-Sahong-hydropower-dam.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125328\/9536-Don-Sahong-hydropower-dam-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125328\/9536-Don-Sahong-hydropower-dam-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125328\/9536-Don-Sahong-hydropower-dam-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125328\/9536-Don-Sahong-hydropower-dam-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Don Sahong hydropower dam sits less than 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Cambodian border in Laos. Image by Eung Sea for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_330093\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125334\/9547-bones-of-the-last-dolphin.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-330093\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125334\/9547-bones-of-the-last-dolphin.jpg\" alt=\"The bones of the last dolphin \u2014 called \u201cthe lonely dolphin\u201d \u2014 to die in the transboundary Chheu Teal dolphin pool are displayed for visitors at the Anlong community hall \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125334\/9547-bones-of-the-last-dolphin.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125334\/9547-bones-of-the-last-dolphin-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125334\/9547-bones-of-the-last-dolphin-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125334\/9547-bones-of-the-last-dolphin-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/09\/17125334\/9547-bones-of-the-last-dolphin-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The bones of the last dolphin \u2014 called \u201cthe lonely dolphin\u201d \u2014 to die in the transboundary Chheu Teal dolphin pool are displayed for visitors at the Anlong community hall to commemorate river dolphins\u2019 presence and importance to the community. Image by Eung Sea for Mongabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>A new sign of hope<\/h2>\n<p>By late June, conservationists had <a href=\"https:\/\/cambodianess.com\/article\/new-life-new-momentum-sixth-dolphin-birth-fuels-cambodias-conservation-push\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">confirmed at least six calves born this year<\/a> along the 120-km (75-mi) stretch of the Mekong that runs through Kratie and Stung Treng provinces \u2014 five in Kratie and one in Stung Treng \u2014 lifting the estimated population to 118 individuals. Officials say this is a strong signal that the population is still reproducing and capable of recovery if threats are kept in check.<\/p>\n<p>I Sanaroth, Kampi fisheries chief, tells Mongabay that gillnets in particular are still used within the protected habitat zones but at a small scale. The conservation work, he adds, is undertaken by the Fisheries Administration (FiA), with financial and technical support from WWF-Cambodia and other development partners.<\/p>\n<p>In 2014, the FiA and WWF-Cambodia <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwf.org.kh\/?207721\/Case-Story-Livelihood-Benefits-from-Dolphin-Conservation\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">launched<\/a> a joint initiative to balance Mekong dolphin conservation with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PhnomPenhPost\/posts\/cambodia-is-stepping-up-efforts-to-protect-the-mekong-river-dolphin-the-construc\/1596762772493557\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">community livelihoods<\/a>, helping fishing households reduce their reliance on wild fish while involving them in protecting aquatic ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe population of the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins has increased due to joint conservation. Our work is not done. Authorities, with support from conservation groups, are stepping up patrols and prosecutions to hold illegal fishers accountable,\u201d Sanaroth says.<\/p>\n<p>For now, in Kratie at least, the mornings still bring the same ritual: boats gliding out before the heat sets in, engines cutting near known feeding grounds, and the wait for a gray curve to break the surface.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> A newborn Irrawaddy dolphin calf, approximately three days old, was seen on Feb. 17, 2026, by a research team from the Kratie Fisheries Administration and the WWF-Cambodia research team, at the Kampi Dolphin Viewing Site in Cambodia\u2019s Kratie Province. Image \u00a9 Lor Kimsan \/ WWF Cambodia.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"hWBtgzPiso\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/03\/irrawaddy-dolphin-death-in-thailands-songkhla-lake-underscores-conservation-needs\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Irrawaddy dolphin death in Thailand\u2019s Songkhla Lake underscores conservation needs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cIrrawaddy dolphin death in Thailand\u2019s Songkhla Lake underscores conservation needs\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/03\/irrawaddy-dolphin-death-in-thailands-songkhla-lake-underscores-conservation-needs\/embed\/#?secret=nwrlJbL1Nn#?secret=hWBtgzPiso\" data-secret=\"hWBtgzPiso\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"6BZAIrqw0b\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/01\/nine-countries-sign-global-pact-to-protect-endangered-river-dolphins\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Nine countries sign global pact to protect endangered river dolphins<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cNine countries sign global pact to protect endangered river dolphins\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/01\/nine-countries-sign-global-pact-to-protect-endangered-river-dolphins\/embed\/#?secret=S52DWeE5Es#?secret=6BZAIrqw0b\" data-secret=\"6BZAIrqw0b\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Citations:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Baird, I. G. (2011). The Don Sahong Dam: Potential impacts on regional fish migrations, livelihoods, and human health. <em>Critical Asian Studies, 43<\/em>(2), 211\u2013235. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/14672715.2011.570567\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1080\/14672715.2011.570567<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Golden, C. D., Shapero, A., Vaitla, B., Smith, M. R., Myers, S. S., Stebbins, E., &amp; Gephart, J. A. (2019). Impacts of mainstream hydropower development on fisheries and human nutrition in the Lower Mekong. <em>Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 3<\/em>, 93. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fsufs.2019.00093\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.3389\/fsufs.2019.00093<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Kr\u00fctzen, M., Beasley, I., Ackermann, C. Y., Lieckfeldt, D., Ludwig, A., Ryan, G. E., \u2026 Spencer, P. B. S. (2018). Demographic collapse and low genetic diversity of the Irrawaddy dolphin population inhabiting the Mekong River. <em>PLOS ONE, 13<\/em>(1), e0189200. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0189200\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1371\/journal.pone.0189200<\/a><\/p>\n<p>                            &#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; Irrawaddy dolphins, the Mekong River\u2019s sole cetaceans, are viewed as sacred animals by Mekong&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,3647,2857,3646,410,661,3645,3644,14,9,377,11,13,10,2],"class_list":["post-1546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-bermain","tag-cautious","tag-crisis","tag-dolphins","tag-find","tag-hope","tag-irrawaddy","tag-mekongs","tag-online","tag-peluang","tag-river","tag-saat","tag-slot","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}