Amaravati, February 11, 2026: Forest officials spotted the carcass of a sub-adult female Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin during a routine coastal patrol for Olive Ridley turtles near Perupalem beach, close to where the Vasista branch of the Godavari meets the Bay of Bengal.
The animal showed deep injuries, pointing to entrapment in a mechanised fishing net. Locals reported that fishermen may have discarded the body after the incident.
The species, Sousa chinensis, holds Schedule I protection under India's Wildlife Protection Act and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Officials from the Bhimavaram forest range conducted a post-mortem, with probes ongoing into the bycatch incident.
