An endangered river dolphin finds an unlikely savior: fisherfolk

A dolphin swims along the Indus river in the southern Pakistani city of Sukkur. Local legend has it that Pakistan's Indus River dolphin was once a woman, transformed by a curse from a holy man angry that she forgot to feed him one day. This endangered species is seeing numbers revive, with fisherfolk playing a role as citizen-scientists. (Rizwan Tabassum AFP via Getty Images)

MOHAMMAD ALAM MIRANI VILLAGE, Pakistan – An unlikely citizen scientist is helping to save an endangered dolphin that lives in Pakistan's Indus River. He's a fisherman who cannot read or write.

Using his battered mobile, Sikander Ali calls a Pakistan representative of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature whenever he sees a river dolphin, which he says is happening more often.