Paradon was taken to Thailand’s Marine and Coastal Resources Research and Development Center, located in Thailand’s Rayong province. While researchers were committed to his care, the young dolphin was sick and weak and seemed as though he would not survive.
“We said among ourselves that the chance of him surviving was quite low, judging from his condition,” said Thanaphan Chomchuen, a veterinarian treating Paradon at the center.
“Normally, dolphins found stranded on the shore are usually in such a terrible condition. The chances that these dolphins would survive are normally very, very slim. But we gave him our best try on that day,” he added.
The dolphin calf had to be held upright in the water by his new caregivers as he was too weak to swim and was at risk of drowning. They treated his lung infection and began feeding him milk through a tube before transitioning him to a bottle. His care is being overseen by a staff veterinarian and two volunteers who treat him around the clock.
The baby is estimated to be between four and six months old and has a round face and a curved mouth that gives him a smiling appearance.
After a month of treatment Paradon is finally able to swim on his own and no longer has symptoms of an infection. However, his caregivers are still nervous about his strength as he struggles to eat his food.
“He does not eat enough but rather just wants to play. I am worried that he does not receive enough nutrition,” said Thippunyar Thipjuntar, a 32-year-old financial adviser who volunteers to babysit Paradon. “When you invest your time, physical effort, mental attention, and money to come here to be a volunteer, of course you wish that he would grow strong and survive.”
Paradon may be in the research center’s care for at least a year, said Sumana Kajonwattanakulm, the center’s director.
“If we just release him when he gets better, the problem is that he won’t be able to have milk. We will have to take care of him until he has his teeth, then we must train him to eat fish, and be part of a pod. This will take quite some time,” Sumana said.
Paradon, which roughly translates to “brotherly burden,” is an Irrawaddy dolphin. The species is commonly found in shallow coastal areas of South and Southeast Asia.
“If we can save one dolphin, this will help our knowledge, as there have not been many successful cases in treating this type of animal,” said Chomchuen. “If we can save him and he survives, we will have learned so much from this."
“Secondly, I think by saving him, giving him a chance to live, we also raise awareness about the conservation of this species of animal, which are rare, with not many left.”
Irrawaddy dolphins have a short beak and a bulbous head and inhabit rivers such as the Mekong River but are endangered due to illegal fishing and water pollution. They are also regarded as sacred animals by Khmer and Lao people.
Officials at the research center report that there are only 400 Irrawaddy dolphins left along their eastern coast, while the World Wildlife Fund believes there are less than 100.