Police in India have arrested a fisherman for killing a rare dolphin from the River Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh state, media reported on Tuesday. He later cooked and ate it with his friends.
The Forest Department allegedly took cognizance of the matter after a video went viral on social media in which three men were allegedly seen carrying a huge fish on their shoulders. Many netizens identified the fish as a dolphin.
Ravindra Kumar, the forest ranger of the area, complained on Monday against Ranjeet Kumar, Sanjay, Deevan, and Baba on under Wildlife protection, 1972 Act.
Ranjeet Kumar has since been arrested and is being interrogated, police officials confirmed.
Gangetic dolphins have been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2021, the government of India launched a dolphin conservation programme to save the rare freshwater species.