Irrawaddy dolphin rescued after weeks of care

When fisherman found the ill Irrawaddy dolphin calf, he couldn’t swim and was drowning in a tidal lagoon off Thailand’s coast.

The fishermen immediately contacted marine conservationists, who advised them on how to care for the baby until a rescue crew could come.
The newborn was given the name Paradon, meaning ‘brotherly burden,’ because everyone concerned realized that it would be tough to save the dolphin’s life.

Irrawaddy dolphins may be found in three rivers in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia, as well as in South and Southeast Asia’s shallow coastal waters.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists dolphins as an endangered species due to habitat loss, pollution, and fishing tactics that take dolphins accidently with other species.

According to experts at the marine research center, Thailand’s eastern coast, which borders Cambodia, is still home to 400 Irrawaddy dolphins.
Since the fisherman spotted him on July 22, several vets and volunteers have assisted with his treatment at the facility in Rayong on the Gulf of Thailand.

“Based on his condition, we estimated that his chances of survival were pretty low,” Thanaphan Chomchuen, a vet at the facility, said.

He was placed in a saltwater pool, his lung infection was cured, and volunteers were enlisted to maintain close watch over him.

To protect him from drowning, they must maintain him upright in his tank and feed him milk using a feeding tube at first, then a bottle once he has acquired muscle.

Throughout the day, a staff veterinarian, one or two volunteers, and other personnel are in charge of the water pump and filter, as well as making milk for the calf.

After a month, Paradon is improving. The calf, which is believed to be between four and six months old, can now swim and exhibits no signs of sickness.
Despite the team’s best efforts to feed him every 20 minutes or so, the dolphin, who weighed around 27 kilograms (59 pounds) and measured 138 centimeters (4.5 feet) on July 22, is feeble and does not eat enough milk.

Thippunyar Thipjuntar, a 32-year-old financial expert, is one of the many volunteers who come up for babysitting duty with Paradon.
Thippunya stated she couldn’t help but feel connected to Paradon and worried about his growth because of his round baby face and curled lips that resemble a grin.

“He doesn’t eat enough and likes to play,” she said to The Associated Press as she fed the tired Paradon on Friday.

“Of course, when you commit your time, physical effort, mental attention, and money to come here to volunteer, you hope he becomes strong and survives.”
According to Sumana Kajonwattanakul, director of the marine center, Paradon will require long-term care until he is weaned from milk and ready to forage for his own food.

“The trouble is that if we merely release him when he gets healthy, he won’t be able to get milk.”

“We will have to take care of him till he gets his teeth, then we must train him to eat fish, and be part of a pod. “This will take some time,” Sumana predicted.

The folks who look after Paradon believe that the continuous loving care is beneficial.
“If we can preserve only one dolphin, it would add to our knowledge because there haven’t been many successful cases in treating this sort of animal,” said Thanaphan, a veterinarian.

“If we can rescue him and he survives, we will have learnt so much from this.

“Secondly, I believe that by saving him and giving him a chance to survive, we are also raising awareness about the conservation of this type of animal, which is endangered and there aren’t many of them left.”

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