Context:
Field biologists from the EGREE Foundation have spotted ‘Pondicherry shark’, an endangered species protected under the provisions of the Wildlife(Protection) Act.
More details:
- This is for the third time they are spotted in the East Godavari River Estuarine Ecosystem region after 2007 and 2016. Scientifically known as Carcharhinus hemiodon, it belongs to the Carcharhinidae family with a growth of 3.3 feet.
- Known as ‘Pala Sora’ in the local parlance.
- It was once found throughout Indo-Pacific coastal waters from the Gulf of Oman to New Guinea.
- It is known to enter fresh water.
- Protection:
1. Listed as an endangered species, under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
2. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the Pondicherry shark as Critically Endangered. - The Pondicherry Shark is on the verge of extinction.
- The shark is among the 25 “most wanted lost” species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation’s “Search for Lost Species” initiative.
Source:TH
