Our partners from PROYECTO SOTALIA , led by Yurasi Briceño , and the Fundación OMACHA , led by our colleague Fernando Trujillo, are currently underway on the Río Casiquiare in Venezuela to record the Inia population (Inia geoffrensis) and determine its number using river transects. It is the first time that an expedition to investigate Inias has been carried out in this river. So far, nothing is known about the population size and distribution of the Inias in this river system. The data is important to determine the threat status of the Inias in Venezuela and to develop appropriate measures to protect this dolphin species .
The Casiquiare River connects the two major basins of South America, the Orinoco and the Amazon. This first expedition is a joint effort with Colombian colleagues in collaboration with government and academic institutions. Data are collected on the size of the population, as well as the movement patterns and health status of Inia geoffrensis . The Casiquiare River is one of the most pristine, biodiverse and least explored places in the Venezuelan Amazon, and any contribution to the knowledge of this area is valuable.
