Bolivia finishes rescue of 12 pink river dolphins

[Judi Lynn]

Bolivia finishes rescue of 12 pink river dolphins
The Associated Press
Sunday, August 29, 2010; 12:51 PM

http://media3.washingtonpost.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-dyn/content/photo/2010/08/29/PH2010082901386.jpg

After being rescued, a baby pink dolphin is taken care
by biologists at the Pailas river in Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
Monday, Aug. 23 , 2010. Biologists and environmental
activists are trying to rescue dolphins trapped in early
July in the Pailas river, a tributary of the Rio Grande
river, north of the city of Santa Cruz, when drought
caused water levels to drop. (AP Photo/Dado Galdieri)
(Dado Galdieri - AP)

LA PAZ, Bolivia -- Bolivian biologists say they have finished rescuing 12 pink, freshwater dolphins who were trapped in a river.

Rescue team member Mariana Escobar says the six-day effort to free the dolphins finished on Thursday.

The animals had swum from their normal home in the Rio Grande into the more tranquil Rio Paila to breed. Flooding blocked the river and prevented them from returning to their habitat. They were at risk of dying as the dry season lowers the smaller river.

Rescuers caught the dolphin in nets and carried them in padded containers in an all-terrain vehicle to the larger river, where they were released.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/29/AR2010082901384.html

(More photos)