After five years, dolphins appear in New York's Bronx River

After five years of no sighting, dolphins appeared again in the Bronx River in New York. Although, the dolphins recently appeared in the East River of the city, for the first time since 2017 they have been spotted in the Bronx River.

The river has been kept stocked with many fishes by the authorities who believe that this will help in attracting dolphins to the river.

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A video was shared by the New York's Department of Parks and Recreation on Twitter which was shot by someone who witnessed the dolphins in the river.

However, the joyous news of the mammal's appearance came along with a warning. The department wrote, “Make sure that they're comfortable during their visit by giving them space and not disturbing them.”

The Bronx River passes through the Bronx borough which is Manhattan's north and is the city's only freshwater river.

Non-profit Bronx River Alliance, which works to restore and protect the waterway, also confirmed the sightings.

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"There seems to be more dolphin pods swimming near NY Harbor!" it stated on social media. "We are not sure why but authorities are further investigating their presence and we will keep you updated as we get more info,” the non-profit added.

The numbers of dolphins in both the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines have dropped due to habitat destruction and pollution. Some dolphins also suffer injuries due to fishing nets and die.

Hence, the United States protects it under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to which it is illegal to harass or feed them.

(With inputs from agencies)

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