Paradip: A rare dolphin tragically lost its life during a rescue attempt by local fishermen at Paradip fishing harbour on Sunday.

Measuring approximately 4.5 feet in length and weighing around 20 to 25 kg, the injured dolphin was discovered in the storeroom of a stranded trawler at jetty number 4. The fishermen promptly alerted the Kujang forest department to seek assistance in safely rescuing the mammal.

Unfortunately, due to the delay in reaching the location, the forest department personnel were unable to arrive in time. As a result, the local fishermen took it upon themselves to save the dolphin once the tidal wave had receded.

However, the dolphin had already succumbed to its injuries by that point. It is suspected that the dolphin had sustained these injuries, possibly from becoming entangled in a fishing net or colliding with the trawler.

Subsequently, when the forest department officials arrived at the fishing jetty, the fishermen handed over the deceased dolphin to them. The dolphin's body was then transferred to the veterinary department for a postmortem examination. A department official stated that the exact cause of death could only be determined after obtaining the postmortem report.