A 7-foot rare Indus River dolphin died on Saturday at Sukkur Barrage of the Indus River.

The mammal perished at the Gate No. 53 of the Barrage as its body was not evacuated after hours.

The blind dolphins, a toothed whale species found in Sindh, are considered endangered.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, Indus River dolphins are believed to have originated in the ancient Tethys Sea.

They can only be found in the lower parts of the Indus River in Pakistan and in River Beas, a tributary of the Indus River in Punjab, India.

“In Pakistan, their numbers declined dramatically after the construction of an irrigation system, and most dolphins are confined to a 750 mile stretch of the river and divided into isolated populations by six barrages,” the WWF said.

They have adapted to life in the muddy river and are functionally blind. They rely on echolocation to navigate, communicate and hunt prey including prawns, catfish, and carp, it added.