At the end of winter and the beginning of spring in Brazil, more than 100 dolphins have been found dead along the banks of the rivers in the Brazilian Amazon amid a severe drought in the region.
The majority of the dolphins were found in Lake Tefé, reported CNN, which is a branch of the Amazon River located in the northwest of Brazil.
In Lake Tefé, there are about 1,400 river dolphins, according to the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development. With around 120 deaths, nearly 10% of the population has disappeared.
Experts suspect that warmer-than-normal water temperatures are responsible for the deaths, as the region is experiencing a severe drought. The heatwave in the area has raised water temperatures, which reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit in recent days.
The Brazilian river dolphin species feeds on fish, which local media also reported are dying due to the warmer water temperatures, further worsening the situation.
Source: NPR and CNN