The Baiji Dolphin, also known as the Chinese River Dolphin, the Yangtze River Dolphin, the Whitefin Dolphin and the Yangtze Dolphin, is obviously the animal closest to extinction - if we assume that the species hasn't already extinct. The Baiji is grey-blue on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side and as its names indicate it is - or was - found only in fresh waters and more specifically in the Yangtze River in China. Its eyes are smaller compared to dolphins that live in the ocean and its vision is rather poor, hense it relies on sonar for navigation and swims slower than its maximun speed.
The Yangtze River Dolphin breeds during the first half of the year (usually around February - April) and the calf is born 10-11 months later. Each female dolphin gives birth to one calf at a time and will not mate for two years until the calf is mature enough to survive alone in the wild. Based on studies conducted on Baiji Dolphins in captivity, a Baiji lives approximately 25 years and reaches sexual maturity at 4-6 years of age.
Fossil records indicate that the Baiji first appeared on our planet 25 million years ago at the banks of the Yangtze River in the Pacific Ocean and migrated up the river 20 million years ago.
According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) the following are considered the main threats to the Baiji Dolphins:
- hunting by humans during breeding season,
- entanglement in fishing gear,
- the illegal practice of electric fishing,
- collisions with boats and ships,
- habitat loss and
- pollution
...for all of which responsible are humans.
The Xinhua News Agency announced on December 4, 2006 that in an expedition conducted by 30 scientists on the Yangtze River in China, no Baiji Dolphins were spotted, which raised suspicion of a first extinction of a species due to human action. However, in August 2007, footage was released to the public of sighting of what was believed to be a Baiji Dolphin.
"On October 11, 2007, Chinese state media announced that under a development plan an additional 4,000,000 people will be relocated from their homes near the dam by the year 2020 due to ecological concerns." However, is this enough? We've forced a beautiful animal, which has been an inhabitant of this planet for almost as long as we have, to extinction. Is it enough to take measures now that the species has already extinct?
Sources:
Animal Info - http://www.animalinfo.org/
Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/
NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
The New York Times - A Fellow Mammal Leaves the Planet, Robert L. Pitman - http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/26/science/26field.html?_r=1
Life of Guangzhou - http://www.lifeofguangzhou.com/
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