HORRIBLE! Bengal Men Torture Gangetic Dolphin to Death on Banks of River Hooghly, Viral Video Sparks Fury on Twitter

Remember the sightings of rare South Asian River Dolphins last month in Kolkata Ghats? While they came as a wonderful surprise for environmentalists, the poachers and cruel men were not far behind from torturing an infant Gangetic dolphin to death

In what has come up as the most evil evil human-animal conflict while nature was beginning to heal amid the COVID-19 lockdown, a group of cruel men from Bengal shared a video of mercilessly torturing a baby Gangetic dolphin to death and releasing its bloodied body into the waters later. While the sightings of these rare South Asian River Dolphins last month in Kolkata Ghats came as a wonderful surprise for environmentalists, the poachers and cruel men were not far behind and the viral video and pictures have sparked furry on Twitter.

As per a report in TOI, one Rafiku Saihk had uploaded a video (Vigo Video ID 80826578705) that featured a group of men holding the infant dolphin by its snout and tail and literally torturing it. While the exact location of the incident hasn’t been confirmed yet, environmentalist Biswajit Roychowdhury guessed it to be on the banks of Hooghly somewhere between Kolkata and Burdwan. Biswajit’s organisation complained about it to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests after seeing another video that showed the dolphin being released in the river in a bloodied state.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Ck74yMuzo&feature=emb_title

“The mammals have very sensitive skin and the way it has been handled, as shown in the videos, it is likely to be dead despite being released in water,” he told TOI. He opined that the dolphin in the video was an infant, probably a few weeks old, and added that the matter is under investigation. He said, “We are assuming that the place is in between Kolkata and Burdwan and hoping that the culprits will be brought to book soon.”

As the pictures and videos went viral, Twitterati poured their outrage on the micro-blogging site. While one wrote, “Yuck what are they proud of? Why are they free ? Baby #dolphins abused by 2 #monstersamongus in #India (sic)”, another tweeted, “Torturing a baby dolphin only a couple of weeks old. Seriously sociopathic! Let’s hope they’re caught soon. Apparently they did release the battered & bloodied calf, but it wouldn’t have a chance with no Mum. Scumbags (sic)” and yet another lashed, “Have these men been arrested? This can’t go on. Why can’t we get everyone to care? This is heart breaking. @MamataOfficial @PrakashJavdekar (sic).”

Check out Twitter’s reaction on the news here:

Yuck what are they proud of? Why are they free ? Baby #dolphins abused by 2 #monstersamongus in #India

As dolphins return to Kolkata, Bengal men torture one on camera | Kolkata News – Times of India https://t.co/mGqs9BTk8h

— Phaedra (@PhaedraXTeddy) May 13, 2020

Torturing a baby dolphin only a couple of weeks old. Seriously sociopathic! Let’s hope they’re caught soon. Apparently they did release the battered & bloodied calf, but it wouldn’t have a chance with no Mum. Scumbags🤬@_AnimalAdvocate @RobRobbEdwards https://t.co/HAawDRuAfa

— Xpose Trophy Hunting (@XposeTrophyHunt) May 12, 2020

Have these men been arrested? This can’t go on. Why can’t we get everyone to care? This is heart breaking. @MamataOfficial @PrakashJavdekar
dolphins return to Kolkata, Bengal men torture one on camera https://t.co/aMRoMtwMjn via @timesofindia

— Devika Chopra (@ilah108) May 13, 2020

This Very Depressing Video of Men Torturing a Dolphin in Kolkata Reminds Us Humanity Is Doomed https://t.co/jNT2nY14ey

— fred (@fred7722) May 15, 2020

What kind of monster could hurt such a being as this beautiful dolphin. 💔https://t.co/uWM20ghO0K

— gruntvegan (@gruntvegan) May 15, 2020

Indian Men Caught Torturing Dolphins on Camera After Their Miraculous Reappearance on Kolkata Shores: https://t.co/mxh9SGBHmz

— Robb Edwards 🌱 (@RobRobbEdwards) May 14, 2020

Brutal #dolphin abuse. I can’t watch this. But I also can’t ignore it. https://t.co/smaShXOCrF

— Tim Zimmermann (@Earth_ist) May 15, 2020

2 Men Brutally Torture Infant Dolphin To Death In Kolkata, Proving Humans Are The Virus #scuba #scubadiving https://t.co/YsjMb0xKCr

— ScubaGearReviewer (@scubadivergear) May 15, 2020

A bunch of men caught a baby #dolphin and then tortured it on camera in #Kolkata.

“Horrible and Grusome”. pic.twitter.com/4JGsMwsRO2

— Radhika Parashar (@_RadhikaReports) May 13, 2020

A 🐬 Dolphin only few weeks old being tortured in Kolkata, India
This is NOT acceptable at any cost!
Watch incident video here : https://t.co/r7KplUeCDe#Kolkata #dolphin #Lockdown #IndiaFightsCoronavirus #IndiaFightsCorona #Calcutta #AnimalCruelty #India #Bengal #Ganga

— Somenody (@Sonebody0101) May 13, 2020

While around 30 years ago, it was a normal thing for Gangetic dolphins to be spotted at ghats of Kolkata, due to increased water pollution these sightings became almost rare. Amid the lockdown these animals are being seen in parts where they were not seen earlier due to human activities. Last month, dolphins were also spotted off Mumbai coast after the lockdown was implemented in India.

Same is the case in Bihar, where Gangetic dolphins have become more visible in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary. The global population of Gangetic dolphins is barely between 1,200 to 1,800.