Today as Pakistan celebrates its 76th Independence Day, Google has acknowledged the endemic Indus River dolphin in Pakistan to honor the nation’s achievement of self-determination and sovereignty.
After over 200 years of British rule, Pakistan attained independence on this day in 1947 and became an independent state.
In today’s doodle description of this historic day, Google provided a description of the country’s battles for a free state.
Following the 1947 Indian Independence Act, Muslim Indians launched the Pakistan Movement to establish their sovereign nation-state. It stated that Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s All-India Muslim League served as the movement’s driving force.
August 14 is a national holiday in observance of Independence Day, and festivities are held all around the nation. The day begins with a 21-gun salute in each provincial capital and a 31-gun salute in the federal capital as a mark of respect for the nation.
The national song is sung and the Pakistani flag is raised high in the air by the populace of the nation. The primary celebrations take place in Islamabad, where the president and prime minister deliver energizing addresses on national heroes, current successes, and future objectives.
While this is going on, prominent government structures including the President’s House, Supreme Court, and Parliament House are all decked out in vibrant lighting. Rallies, concerts, and fireworks displays are all included in the festivities.
Additionally, Google described the Indus River dolphin, a species of toothed whale.
This critically endangered animal, also known as the human in Sindhi and Urdu, is a unique sighting in Pakistan’s offshore shores.
Sindh, in particular, is home to Pakistan’s unusual dolphins, which are blind and have a snout with two rows of sharp teeth. These dolphins are rare and get international attention due to their conservation status.
One of only four freshwater dolphin species in the world, it is threatened on several fronts, including unrestricted fishing and entanglement occurrences, canal strandings, and the discharge of untreated industrial effluents into rivers.
The creatures used echolocation, a type of sonar, to navigate after spending millions of years living in the murky waters.
There was a period when the Indus River was home to a sizable population of blind dolphins. However, the development of reservoirs, dams, and barrages for agricultural use has reduced its habitat.
