A Blind Dolphin, a Fragmented River, and a Rare Conservation Win

Most people have never heard of the Indus River dolphin, and it exists nowhere else on Earth. Known locally as the bhulan, it is functionally blind and navigates one of the world’s great rivers entirely by echolocation. Dams and irrigation barrages have shrunk its range by roughly 80 percent, yet it is one of the few river dolphins whose numbers are climbing instead of falling. On this episode of Robin’s Nest, Dr. Robin Ganzert talks with Dr. Abdul Kabir, a veterinarian and One Health researcher from Sindh, Pakistan, about how dolphins get stranded in irrigation canals, what a rescue looks like, and how fishing communities along the river have become the species’ strongest protectors. They also discuss why zoos and aquariums should be part of the fight, and what this rare comeback can teach the rest of the world. In this episode: What makes the Indus River dolphin so unusual How a rescue works when dolphins are trapped in canals Why community partnership is the key to recovery The case for connecting field conservation to zoos and aquariums