Cambodia battles to save rare Mekong dolphins
- Published: 31 Dec 2012 at 11.46
- Online news: World
The sight of two dolphins twisting playfully in the murky waters of the Mekong river elicits barely stifled squeals of delight from a boatload of eco-tourists.
This photo taken on December 6, 2012 shows Cambodians and foreign tourists on boats to spot dolphins along the Mekong river. There is a ban on hunting dolphins in the Mekong, but old habits die hard. Some 77 unarmed guards patrol the Cambodian stretch of the Mekong on the lookout for activities that could harm dolphins.
But a short distance upstream, river guard Pech Sokhan sighs as he holds up two large, tangled gill nets recently pulled from the murky water -- evidence old habits die hard despite a ban on the practice that ensnares many dolphins.
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