A river dolphin was found dead, floating on the Kalahi River in the Kukurmara area of Assam’s Kamrup district on Wednesday morning.

The cause of death remains unknown. A passerby first spotted the carcass and alerted the forest authorities.

The carcass was subsequently taken for a post-mortem examination.

According to information received, it was a Gangetic River Dolphin, which is considered the national aquatic animal of India and the official animal of Guwahati city.

It is scientifically known as Platanista Gangetica, and is classified as endangered by the IUCN as it is facing serious threats to its survival.