Kendrapara, Jan 27: The annual headcount of dolphins at Bhitarkanika and Gahirmatha in Kendrapara district began today and it will continue till January 29.
Sources said, around nine teams comprising senior officials of the State forest department, and Wildlife experts have been roped in to conduct the dolphin census here. Each team has 4 to 5 enumerators.
Each team is equipped with binoculars, GPS set, rangefinder and data recording sheets for a foolproof headcount of these species, said forest officials.
The number of dolphins in Bhitarkanika and Gahiramatha this year will be known only after the census.
Irrawaddy, humpback dolphin, and bottlenose dolphins, Pantropical spotted dolphins had earlier been sighted during the census of these animals in the past years.
Worth mentioning, dolphin census was conducted in Chilika lagoon from January 20 to 22.
