Cambodia welcomes 6th newborn rare Mekong dolphin in 2026

PHNOM PENH, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Another newborn Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin has been sighted, bringing the number of newborn dolphins in Cambodia to six so far this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) said in a news release on Tuesday.

The three-day-old calf was spotted on Monday afternoon at the Kampi dolphin pool in northeast Kratie province's Chetr Borei district by a MAFF media team and was confirmed by a research team of the Fisheries Administration and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

"This new calf was healthy and seen swimming alongside a pod of six adult dolphins," the news release said. "It is the sixth baby dolphin born in 2026."

"With the new arrival of this calf, the total population of Mekong River dolphins in Cambodia has risen to 118," it added.

The Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species since 2004.

These aquatic mammals currently live along a 120-km main channel of the Mekong River in northeast Kratie and Stung Treng provinces, according to the MAFF. Enditem