Our Mascot “PALTAN” is the Ganges River dolphin (PLATANista gangetica), or susu, inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Being a mammal, the Ganges River dolphin cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30-120 seconds. Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the ‘Susu’. They are among the oldest creatures in the world along with crocodiles, sharks and some turtles. As top predators they are not eaten by anything else.

It is the most threatened cetacean and among the world’s most threatened mammals. They are threatened by accidental gill net fishing, bycatch, use of their oil as fish bait, by pesticides and river fragmentation from agricultural irrigation and dams. It is listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red Book and as a Flagship Species by WWF. The Ganges river dolphin has been recognized by the government of India as its National Aquatic Animal.

Common Name: Ganges river dolphin, blind dolphin, Ganges dolphin, Ganges susu, Gangetic dolphin, hihu, side-swimming dolphin; Plataniste du Gange(Fr); Delfín del Ganges(Sp)).

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