Fishermen in Bangladesh beat a rare Ganger River dolphin to death because they had not seen “this kind of creature before”, CNN reports. The dolphin was caught in Bagerat, a city located near Sundarbans, one of the biggest mangrove forests in the world. According to the national Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news organization, the fishermen left the body of the dolphin outside a museum after having unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer for the dead animal. The dolphin has now been moved to a visitor center where it will be prepared for an exhibit, according to Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur from the Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project.

According to the WWF, the Ganges River dolphin is rarely seen since it prefers to stay hidden in the murky Ganges River and only surface occasionally to breathe. The species is classified as an endangered species and the total population is believed to consist of no more than 4,000-5,000 specimens. It is threatened by habitat destruction, including dam constructions, and is known to sometimes become entangled in nets. Being caught in a net is naturally really dangerous for a creature that needs to surface to breathe.

The word Sundarbans means “beautiful forest” in Bengali. This large mangrove forest is located at the mouth of the Ganges in Bangladesh and the West Bengal region of India. The forest has been an UNESCO world heritage site since 1997 under the names Sundarbans (the part located in Bangladesh) and Sundarbans National Park (the part located in India). The Ganges River dolphin is not the only endangered species living here; the region is for instance home to the famous Royal Bengal Tiger. Source: CNN.com