Cambridgeshire: Dolphin dies after inland rescue effort

British Divers Marine Life Rescue and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service attempted to save the mammal

A dolphin that became trapped in reeds after swimming up to 45 miles inland has died, a conservation group says.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) was called to the New Bedford River, near Pymoor, Cambridgeshire, at about 19:30 BST on Saturday.

The river runs off the River Great Ouse, where a pair of common dolphins had been seen as far inland as Bluntisham, near Huntingdon, this week.

BDMLR said the distressed mammal was put down after rescue efforts failed.

'Maternally dependent'

"The dolphin had wedged itself deep into the reeds," a BDMLR statement said.

"There was some minor visible trauma to the dolphin's dorsal area and its breathing rate was elevated.

"The young dolphin was almost certainly maternally dependent and would need to be able to find its mother if it were to have a chance of survival, but with no sightings of an adult in that area of the river, it was looking more likely that they had become separated before the calf stranded."

A veterinarian was called and the dolphin was put down on welfare grounds at about 01:00.

Pymoor is about 25 miles (40km) from the sea. Bluntisham, where the animals were seen earlier in the week, is about 36 miles (58km) from the nearest coast.

BDMLR said it was still looking for the other dolphin to track its movements and monitor its health.

It called on members of the public to not approach or interfere with the protected species as it "may cause distress and difficulties" for the creature.