Rare River Baiji Dolphin Now Extinct
Welcome back!
Scientists have concluded that the freshwater baiji dolphin, only found in China is now ‘likely to be extinct’ after an extensive 6 week study of the dolphin’s habitat when they failed to spot any in the Yangtze river.
Photo Benchilada
The white, freshwater baiji dolphin had a long narrow beak, low dorsal fin, lived in groups of 3 or 4, and fed on a diet of fish.
The team of researchers claim that unregulated fishing has been blamed for the main cause to their disappearance reports BBC News .
World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threaten Species currently classifies the baiji as ‘critically endangered’, and if confirmed, it would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate in more than 50 years.
The handout photo shows Qi Qi, a rare baiji dolphin who was rescued from the Yangtzi river in 1980 after being beached and injured, swimming in Wuhan Baiji Aquarium where she lived for 22 years before dying of old age in 2002.
AFP Photo – Institute of Hydrobiology Chinese Academy of Sciences
Co-author Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London described the findings as a “shocking tragedy”.
“The Yangtze river dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over 20 million years ago.” Dr. Turvey said.
“This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life and emphasizes that we have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet.”
The baiji species was the only remaining dolphin of the Lipotidae, an ancient mammal family believed to have separated from other marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, about 40-20 million years ago.
“While it is conceivable that a couple of surviving individuals were missed by the survey teams, our inability to detect any 
baiji despite this intensive search effort indicates that the prospect of finding and translocating them to a [reserve] has all but vanished.” the researchers said.
The scientists added that there were a number of human elements that caused baiji numbers to decline, including construction of dams and boat collisions. Photos top from CSI Whales Alive and bottom Quinnum
“However, the primary factor was probably unsustainable by-catch in local fisheries, which used rolling hooks, nets and electrofishing,” they reported.
“Unlike most historical-era extinctions of large bodied animals, the baiji was the victim not of active persecution but incidental mortality resulting from massive-scale human environmental impacts — primarily uncontrolled and unselective fishing.” the researchers concluded.
What are we doing to our beautiful and highly intelligent friends???
Related stories:
Pink Dolphins near Extinction
It really is a shame that over the years, through mankind, many creatures are in danger of extinction through man’s folly and ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude. Indeed some are now extinct, and some are extremely close to it. So when these animals disappear what are they going to do next? Maybe one day the hunter will indeed become the hunted!!
That is just soooo sad
… and makes me just sooo mad
- humans are just soooo bad!!!
Dolphins are one of the most interesting animals in my mind. Especially their minds and way to communicate! They’re so intelligent – and caring I might add.
I love dolphins. Many do and no wonder! We have a lot to learn from them!
You’re now invited to our fun Friday in the Cyber Cruise, to get a taste of the madness
(We’ll go to an Rolling Stones concert together later at RennyBA’s)
As you know, we’re doing a cyber cruise on Lifecruiser.com, where my cruisers (see my sidebar) and I are writing blog posts about places where we live or have visit, with pictures and describing on a planned date and everybody else is visiting that blog that’s scheduled that day, to do some seightseeing and partying together in the cyber world.
Though we’ve had so much fun that several of us have met each other for real too
Welcome to joyn us, all that it takes is some commenting and a link to Lifecruiser.com, so I know you’re in seriously. Then you’re becoming an A-Swab Team member and added to our deckroll.
It’s only when you’ve become an A-Team Cruiser you end up in our sidebar on the frontpage – after a while -(regular and handpicked cruiser) you’re expected to write cyber cruise posts you too, before that you just have to visit and comment us others
Read more about:
http://lifecruiser.com/cruiser-grades
Feel free to ask if it’s something more that’s unclear!
Warmth welcome
Let’s rock this boat!!!!
This creature is over 20 million years old. Can you even being to fathom just how long that really is? So beautiful, and such a shame that we killed it just for the sake of eating some fish for dinner. Not a fair trade, if you ask me.
Don’t fantasize too much about humans being hunted in the future; we seem to be doing a good job of it by ourselves at the moment.
Colin, it’s so highly disturbing on so many levels that my words could not begin to express how I feel. Mankind can be some of the worst creatures there are.
Lifecruiser, dolphins are our friends in more ways than many realize. They’ve even been noted to have saved human lives. They’re one of the most highly intelligent mammals alive.
We have a mall here that’s noted as the largest mall in the world — West Edmonton Mall. They have a feaure attraction with submarines and sea life. Among them were some dolphins.
I rarely go to the mall because it’s such a ‘zoo’ of people. But whenever I did I always stopped in the see ‘the kids’ as I called them, the dolphins. They were so beautiful to watch. But some of them died from being in captivity, which was a crying shame, just to have them there as an attraction to draw crowds.
Thanks so much for the invite! It sounds like a lot of fun
The Rolling Stones ROCK! They’re one of my all-time favorite bands. I’ll pop by and see what it’s all about, and appreciate the invite to be a part of it. And of course I’ll pop by Renny’s as well 
Not a fair trade doesn’t even touch it, Dee. It’s moral corruption if you ask me. To live for 20 million years and be cut short to extinction over a few brief years for some fish on the plate is an abomination. Good one about the hunter becoming the hunted
This story and facts about the dolphins was a sad read. I so much remember I saw this animals in The Under Water World at Perth in western Australia – very close in action for the first time. They are amazing and such intelligent animals!
Btw: I would love to share A Rockin’ Bigger Bang with you
They are spectacular creatures to see up close and personal like that Renny. I loved every minute of watching them at West Ed Mall.
Thanks for the rockin good time at your concert Renny! But I forgot to snag a glass of Dom while I was there
Mind pouring some thru the wires for me?
i was studying in school the baiji dolphin 2 years ago and i just a few day ago i read this story.
a touching one i shall’ say it is as if or is tryin to tell the world how many animals such as the baiji dolphin are going extinct and many animal’s have a history behind it or a life that we are to remember and this article is telling evreyone to let it out before it to late.
Thanks Cocoa, that’s the whole intent of writing these stories, in hopes to create awareness
[...] stories: Rare River Baiji Dolphin Now Extinct New Hope for Baiji Dolphin Reported Extinct Pink Dolphins near Extinction Tags:animal animals [...]