Guwahati:
Krishna Ram has reasons to celebrate. He has been fighting to protect 28 river dolphins of Kolohi, a tributary of Brahmaputra, which flows by his village, Kukurmara. After two decades of his conservation efforts, the river dolphin has acquired a new status. It's the new national aquatic animal of India.
"The Brahmaputra is so beautiful and the dolphins in it enhances its beauty, the way the presence of the tiger in Kaziranga makes the park even more special," beams Krishna Ram.
The conservationist started his campaign with a deliberate lie. He told villagers that killing of dolphins would lead to a death in their families. It worked. The villagers who used to kill the dolphins for oil have now joined Krishna in saving their local treasure,
"The dolphin helps and guides the fishermen while fishing. In fact, today, when a dolphin dies the villagers mourn and hold prayer ceremonies," says a proud Krishna. India hasn't managed to do much to save the Tiger. Now it has a chance to correct its wrongs with another endangered species.