Sick, Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin Calf Improves With Tube-Fed Milk And Lots Of Helping Hands

When the sick Irrawaddy dolphin was found in tidal shallows off the coast of Thailand he was unable to swim. The sick Irrawaddy dolphin would probably drown if not for a kind fisherman. The dolphin was named “Paradon” roughly meaning “brotherly burden” as the dolphin didn’t have a chance to live longer.

The dolphin was taken by the animal rescuers. They kept the dolphin in a salty pool. The dolphin’s lung infection was treated but he still needed to stay there. The little one didn’t gain proper weight and the volunteers were feeding him with a bottle. but the dolphin still was very small and weak.

It was a 32-year-old financial advisor named Thippunyar Thipjuntar who decided to provide her time, physical efforts, and mental attention to help Paradon get better. Thippunyar was too attentive to the dolphin and soon understood that he ate less but wanted to play more. So he didn’t get the proper nutrition. So the kind caretaker began to play with him and fed him at the same time.

For the rescuers, it was extremely important to save the dolphin’s life as Irrawaddy dolphins are vulnerable. The species usually swim in the rivers of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia as well as the shallow coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia. But 400 Irrawaddy dolphins also are noticed on the shallow easter coast of Thailand, which surrounds Cambodia.