What is Baiji?

Baiji, also known as the dolphin of the Yangtze River, is a recently decimated species of freshwater porpois found only in the Yangtz River in China. These pale, long acidic cetaceans were almost blind and relied strongly on their sonar to find food and navigate the river. Due to the extensive dredging and damming and the excessive fishing of its food source and mammals themselves, Baiji was declared functionally extinct. The survey in December 2006 did not find any live specimens.

Baijis were one of the four known types of freshwater dolphins. The adult weighed £ 300-510 (135-230 kg) and had a length of about eight feet (2.5 m) and had a long beak and a white lower abdomen. Baiji was mostly fed on small freshwater fish and was originally found in 1,000 miles (1609 km) of the Yangtze River, including tributaries and dongting and poyang lakes. Only one young was born at a time and pregnancy took 10-11 months. The animal probably had a lifetime of approximately 25 years and due to a two -year abyss between nThe arousing was not produced quickly. The observed road consisted of whistles and clicks, similar to other types of dolphins.

During the big jump forward from 1958 to 1961, traditional respect was ended as "goddess Yangtze" and was hunted for food and traditional medicine. Environmental changes, including the GEZHOUBA project, excavator the river and industrial waste, have seriously damaged the dolphin stations and its prey. Electrofing threatened and reduced food supply. The noise pollution caused by ships was confused by its sonar and the collisions could hurt many animals.

In the age of 70, China realized the situation of Baiji avoked protective organizations, but none of them was able to maintain the animal in captivity for a long time. During November and December 2006, thirty research workers carried out a six -week, 2,000 miles (3219 km) survey of the animal station, but did not discover any living specimens. BaiIt was then declared functionally extinct.

Later in August 2007, the animal's observation was later confirmed when Baiji took place in Anhui province in Eastern China and was captured in the video. However, there is little hope that there is a breeding population. Dolphin without fins, another native acid, is now the goal of aggressive efforts to protect and calves has been successfully bred and was born in captivity.