March 4, 2025 - There are around 6,327 river dolphins in India. This estimate was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday following a survey of 28 rivers across eight States. He said this during the seventh meeting of the National Wildlife Board held in Sasan Gir, Junagadh district.

During the survey, more than 8,500 kilometres of area were covered in 3,150 days. The highest number of dolphins was recorded in Uttar Pradesh, as per the report. PM Modi has suggested that exposure visits for schoolchildren in the dolphin habitats should be organised.

The PM also announced that the Banni Grasslands of Gujarat will now be populated with cheetahs brought from Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. These grasslands are protected forest area in the Kutch district of Gujarat and said to be one of the largest grasslands in Asia.

He also advocated for increasing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in wildlife conservation.

Source: Media Reports