Baiji
An illustration of the Baiji Size comparison against an average human
Conservation status
Critically endangered, possibly extinct (IUCN) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Subclass: Eutheria Order: Cetacea Suborder: Odontoceti Superfamily: Platanistoidea Family: Lipotidae Genus: Lipotes Species: L. vexillifer
Binomial name
Lipotes vexillifer Miller, 1918
Natural range of the Baiji

The Baiji (help· info) (Chinese: 白鱀豚; pinyin: báijìtún) (Lipotes vexillifer, Lipotes meaning "left behind", vexillifer "flag bearer") is a freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in China. Nicknamed "Goddess of the Yangtze" (simplified Chinese: 长江女神; traditional Chinese: 長江女神; pinyin: Cháng Jiāng nǚshén) in China, the dolphin was also called Chinese River Dolphin, Yangtze River Dolphin, Beiji, Whitefin Dolphin and Yangtze Dolphin. It is not to be confused with the Chinese White Dolphin (simplified Chinese: 中华白海豚; traditional Chinese: 中華白海豚; pinyin: Zhōnghuá bái hǎitún). The 2007 IUCN Red List classifies the Baiji as a critically endangered (CR) species, and acknowledges the species is possibly extinct (PE).^[1] Baiji may refer to: The Baiji or Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) Baiji, Iraq, a city of northern Iraq. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Orders[1] Bobolestes Eomaia Maelestes Montanalestes Murtoilestes Prokennalestes Placentalia Superorder Xenarthra: Cingulata (Armadillos) Pilosa (Sloths, True Anteaters) Superorder Afrotheria: Afrosoricida (Tenrecs, etc. ... Suborders Mysticeti Odontoceti Archaeoceti (extinct) (see text for families) The order Cetacea (IPA: , L. cetus, whale) includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... Families See text The toothed whales (systematic name Odontoceti) form a suborder of the cetaceans. ... Families See text River dolphins are four species of dolphin which reside in freshwater rivers and estuarys. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gerrit Smith Miller, Jr. ... , (C) User:Pcb21, 2004, User:Vardion 2003. ... Image File history File links Zh-bai2ji4tun2. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Families See text River dolphins are four species of dolphin which reside in freshwater rivers and estuarys. ... The Yangtze River or Chang Jiang (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), or Drichu in Tibetan (Tibetan: འབ; Wylie: bri chu) is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world, after the Nile in Africa, and the Amazon in South America. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Trinomial name Sousa chinensis chinensis (Osbeck, 1765) Chinese White Dolphin range (blue area) The Chinese White Dolphin (Sousa chinensis chinensis; Traditional Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ), also called Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin, is a species of the Humpback dolphin and is one of eighty cetacean species. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ...

The Baiji population declined drastically in recent decades as China industrialized and made heavy use of the river for fishing, transportation, and hydroelectricity. The last confirmed sighting of a Baiji was in 2004, with an (as yet) unconfirmed sighting in August 2007.^[2] Efforts were made to conserve the species, but a late 2006 expedition failed to find any Baiji in the river. Organizers declared the Baiji "functionally extinct",^[3] which would make it the first aquatic mammal species to become extinct since the demise of the Japanese Sea Lion and the Caribbean Monk Seal in the 1950s. It would also be the first recorded extinction of a well-studied cetacean species (it is unclear if some previously extinct varieties were species or subspecies) to be directly attributable to human influence. Two of the expedition boats on the Yangtze The Yangtze Freshwater Dolphin Expedition 2006 was a six-week search expedition undertaken in November and December 2006 in the city of Wuhan in central China in an attempt to locate continued proof of the existence of the endangered Baiji Yangtze Dolphin. ... Functional extinction is the extinction of a species or other taxon, as measured by one of the following: it disappears from the fossil record, or historic reports of its existence cease[1] the population is reduced to an extent that it no longer plays a significant role in ecosystem function... Binomial name (Peters, 1866) The Japanese Sea Lion (Zalophus japonicus or Zalophus californianus japonicus) is thought to have gone extinct in the 1950s. ... Binomial name Monachus tropicalis (Gray, 1850) The Caribbean Monk Seal or West Indian Monk Seal (Monachus tropicalis), the only seal ever known to be native to the Caribbean sea and the Gulf of Mexico, is now considered extinct. ... Suborders Mysticeti Odontoceti Archaeoceti (extinct) (see text for families) The order Cetacea (IPA: , L. cetus, whale) includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. ...

In August 2007, Zeng Yujiang reportedly videotaped a large white animal swimming in the Yangtze.^[2]. Although Wang Kexiong of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has tentatively confirmed ^[4] that the animal on the video is a baiji, the presence of only one or a few animals, particularly of advanced age, is not enough to save a functionally extinct species from true extinction. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese: 中国科学院; pinyin: Zhōngguó Kēxuéyuàn), formerly known as Academia Sinica (not to be confused with Taiwans Academia Sinica currently headquartered in Taipei which shares the same root), is the national academy for the natural sciences of the Peoples Republic of... Functional extinction is the extinction of a species or other taxon, as measured by one of the following: it disappears from the fossil record, or historic reports of its existence cease; or[1] the population is reduced to an extent that it no longer plays a significant role in ecosystem...

Anatomy and morphology

Baiji are thought to breed in the first half of the year, the peak calving season being from February to April.^[5] A 30% pregnancy rate was observed.^[6] Gestation lasts 10-11 months, delivering one calf at a time; the interbirth interval is 2 years. Calves measure around 80-90 centimetres (32-35 in) at birth, and nursed for 8-20 months.^[7] Males reach sexual maturity at age four, females at age six.^[7] Mature males were about 2.3 metres (7.5 ft) long, females 2.5 metres (8 ft), the longest specimen 2.7 metres.^[7] The animal weighed 135-230 kilograms (300-510 lb),^[7] with a lifespan estimated at 50 years in the wild.^[8] A centimetre (American spelling centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of length that is equal to one hundredth of a metre, the current SI base unit of length. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... “Kg” redirects here. ... The pound (abbreviations: lb or, sometimes in the United States, #) is a unit of mass in a number of different systems, including various systems of units of mass that formed part of English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

When escaping from danger, the Baiji can reach 60 km/h (37 mph), but usually stays within 10 to 15 km/h (6-9 mph). Because of its poor vision and hearing, the Baiji relies mainly on sonar for navigation. Kilometre per hour (American spelling: kilometer per hour) is a unit of both speed (scalar) and velocity (vector). ... Miles per hour is a unit of speed, expressing the number of international miles covered per hour. ... Echolocation, also called Biosonar, is the biological sonar used by several mammals such as bats (although not all species), dolphins and whales (though not baleen whales). ...

Distribution

Historically the Baiji occurred along 1,700 kilometres (1,000 miles) of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze from Yichang in the west to the mouth of the river, near to Shanghai. This had been reduced by several hundred kilometres both upstream and downstream, and was limited to the main channel of the Yangtze, principally the middle reaches between the two large tributary lakes, Dongting and Poyang.^[9] Approximately 12% of the world’s human population lives and works within the Yangtze River catchment area, putting pressure onto the river.^[10] The construction of the Three Gorges Dam, along with other smaller damming projects, also led to habitat loss. “km” redirects here. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Yichang (Chinese: 宜昌; pinyin: Yíchāng) is a city in the Hubei province of China. ... For other uses, see Shanghai (disambiguation). ... Dongting Lake or Lake Dongting (also Dong Lake, 洞庭湖; Pinyin: Dòngtíng hú; Wade-Giles: Tung-ting Hu) is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province of China. ... Lake Poyang, located in Jiangxi Province, is the largest freshwater lake in China. ... The Three Gorges Dam (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a Chinese hydroelectric river dam which spans the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, China. ...

Evolutionary history

Fossil records suggest that the dolphin first appeared 25 million years ago and migrated from the Pacific Ocean to the Yangtze River 20 million years ago.^[11] It was one of four species of dolphins known to have made fresh water their exclusive habitat. The other three species, including the Boto and the La Plata Dolphin, have survived in the Río de la Plata and Amazon rivers in South America and the Ganges and Indus rivers on the Indian subcontinent. For other uses, see Dolphin (disambiguation). ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Families See text River dolphins are four species of dolphin which reside in freshwater rivers and estuarys. ... Binomial name Blainville, 1817 Boto range The Boto, Amazon River Dolphin or Pink River Dolphin[1] (Inia geoffrensis) is a freshwater river dolphin endemic to the Amazon River and Orinoco River systems. ... Binomial name Pontoporia blainvillei Gervais & dOrbigny, 1844 La Plata Dolphin range The La Plata Dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) is found in coastal Atlantic waters of southeastern South America. ... This page is about the South American estuary. ... This article is about the river. ... “Ganga” redirects here. ... The Indus is a river; the Indus River. ...

It is estimated that there were 5,000 Baiji when they were described in the ancient dictionary Erya circa 3rd century BC. A traditional Chinese story describes the Baiji as the reincarnation of a princess who had been drowned by her family after refusing to marry a man she did not love. Regarded as a symbol of peace and prosperity, the dolphin was nicknamed the "Goddess of the Yangtze." The Erya (爾雅) is a Chinese dictionary from before the first century. ... The 3rd century BC started the first day of 300 BC and ended the last day of 201 BC. It is considered part of the Classical era, epoch, or historical period. ...

Conservation

In the 1950s, the population was estimated at 6,000 animals,^[12] but declined rapidly over the subsequent five decades. Only a few hundred were left by 1970. Then the number dropped down to 400 by the 1980s and then to 13 in 1997 when a full-fledged search was conducted.^[13] Now the most endangered cetacean in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records,^[3] the Baiji was last sighted in August 2007.^[2] the first thing that was invented was the automatic DILDO. Education grew explosively because of a very strong demand for high school and college education. ... The Guinness Book of Records (or in recent editions Guinness World Records, and in previous US editions Guinness Book of World Records) is a book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of superlatives: both in terms of human achievement and the extrema of the natural world. ...

Causes of decline

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has noted the following as threats to the species: a period of hunting by humans during the Great Leap Forward, entanglement in fishing gear, the illegal practice of electric fishing, collisions with boats and ships, habitat loss, and pollution. The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... The Great Leap Forward (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was an economic and social plan used from 1958 to 1960 which aimed to use Chinas vast population to rapidly transform mainland China from a primarily agrarian economy dominated by peasant farmers... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... Habitat destruction is a process of land use change in which one habitat-type is removed and replaced with another habitat-type. ...

During the Great Leap Forward, when traditional veneration of the Baiji was denounced, it was hunted for its flesh and skin, and quickly became scarce.^[1] The Great Leap Forward (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was an economic and social plan used from 1958 to 1960 which aimed to use Chinas vast population to rapidly transform mainland China from a primarily agrarian economy dominated by peasant farmers...

As China developed economically, pressure on the river dolphin grew significantly. Industrial and residential waste flowed into the Yangtze. The riverbed was dredged and reinforced with concrete in many locations. Ship traffic multiplied, boats grew in size, and fishermen employed wider and more lethal nets. Noise pollution caused the nearly blind animal to collide with propellers. Stocks of the dolphin's prey declined drastically in recent decades as well, with some fish populations declining to one thousandth of their pre-industrial levels.^[14]

In the 1970s and 1980s, an estimated half of Baiji deaths were attributed to entanglement in fishing gear. By the early 2000s, electric fishing was considered "the most important and immediate direct threat to the Baiji's survival."^[1] Though outlawed, the destructive fishing technique is widely practised throughout China. The building of the Three Gorges Dam further reduced the dolphin's habitat and facilitated an increase in ship traffic. In fisheries science, by-catch refers to species caught in a fishery intended to target another species, as well as reproductively_immature juveniles of the target species. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering. ... The Three Gorges Dam (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a Chinese hydroelectric river dam which spans the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, China. ...

Timeline

• circa 3rd century BC: population estimated at 5,000 animals
• 1950s: population was estimated at 6,000 animals
• 1958-1962: The Great Leap Forward denounces the animal's traditional venerated status
• 1970: The Gezhouba Project begins
• 1979: The People's Republic of China declares the Chinese River Dolphin endangered
• 1983: National law declares hunting the Chinese River Dolphin illegal
• 1984: The plight of the Baiji draws headlines in China^[15]
• 1986: Population estimated to be 300
• 1989: Gezhouba Dam complete
• 1990: Population estimated to be 200
• 1994: Construction of the Three Gorges Dam begins
• 1996: IUCN lists the species as critically endangered
• 1997: Population estimated to be less than 50 (23 found in survey); a dead baiji was found with 103 separate open wounds^[11]
• 1998: 7 found in survey
• 2003: Three Gorges Dam begins filling reservoir
• 2004: Last known sighting
• 2006: None found in survey, declared "with all probability extinct"
• 2007: Results of survey published in the journal Biology Letters^[16]

the first thing that was invented was the automatic DILDO. Education grew explosively because of a very strong demand for high school and college education. ... Jan. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Great Leap Forward (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was an economic and social plan used from 1958 to 1960 which aimed to use Chinas vast population to rapidly transform mainland China from a primarily agrarian economy dominated by peasant farmers... Year 1970 ([[Rf 1970 == January 1 - The Unix epoch begins at 00:00:00 UTC January 2 - The last studio performance of The Beatles oman numerals|MCMLXX]]) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Cable stayed bridge over the Chang Jiang at the downstream approach to the Gezhouba Dam locks. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... The Three Gorges Dam (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a Chinese hydroelectric river dam which spans the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, China. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Three Gorges Dam (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a Chinese hydroelectric river dam which spans the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, China. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Surveys

Conservation efforts

Soon after it decided to modernize, China recognized the precarious state of the river dolphin. The government outlawed deliberate killing, restricted fishing, and established nature reserves.

In 1978, the Chinese Academy of Sciences established the Freshwater Dolphin Research Centre (淡水海豚研究中心) as a branch of the Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology. In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to capture dolphins and relocate them to a reserve. A breeding program would then allow the species to recover and be reintroduced to the Yangtze after conditions improve. However, capturing the rare, quick dolphins proved to be difficult, and few captives survived more than a few months.^[1] The Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese: 中国科学院; pinyin: Zhōngguó KÄ“xuéyuàn), formerly known as Academia Sinica (not to be confused with Taiwans Academia Sinica currently headquartered in Taipei which shares the same root), is the national academy for the natural sciences of the Peoples Republic of... Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology (武汉水生生物研究所) is located in Wuhan of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

The first Chinese aquatic species protection organisation, the Baiji Dolphin Conservation Foundation of Wuhan (武汉白鱀豚保护基金), was founded in December 1996. It has raised 1,383,924.35 CNY (about 100,000 USD) and used the funds for in vitro cell preservation and to maintain the Baiji facilities, including the Shishou Sanctuary that was flooded in 1998. For the brand of cymbal, see Wuhan cymbals. ... CNY and RMB redirect here. ... USD redirects here. ... Wiktionary has a definition of: In vitro In vitro (Latin: within glass) means within a test tube, or, more generally, outside a living organism or cell. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

Conservation efforts of the Baiji along the Yangtze River

Since 1992 five protected areas of the Yangtze have been designated as Baiji reserves. Four were built in the main Yangtze channel where Baiji are actively protected and fishing is banned: two national reserves (Shishou City and Xin-Luo) and two provincial (Tongling and Zhenjiang). A fifth protected area is an isolated oxbow lake located off of the north bank of the river near to Shishou City: the Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow Semi-natural Reserve. Combined, these five reserves cover just over 350 kilometres (220 miles), about 1/3 of the Baijis range, leaving two-thirds of the species' habitat unprotected.^[10] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1168x664, 121 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Baiji ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1168x664, 121 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Baiji ... Shishou (石首市）is a city with more than 100 000 inhabitants in Jingzhou prefecture of Hubei province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Cities on the Yangtze, between Wuhan and Shanghair Tongling (Simplified Chinese: 铜陵; Traditional Chinese: 銅陵; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Tung2-ling2) is a city in Anhui province of China. ... Zhenjiang (Simplified Chinese: 镇江; Traditional Chinese: 鎮江; pinyin: Zhènjiāng; Wade-Giles: Chen-chiang) is a prefecture-level city in the southwestern Jiangsu province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Songhua River, northeast China. ... The Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow Nature Reserve is an area of wetland in the Yangtze basin near Shishou city. ...

As well as these five protected areas there are also five "Protection Stations" in Jianli, Chenglingji, Hukou, Wuhu and Zhengjiang. These stations consist of two observers and a motorised fishing boat with the aim of conducting daily patrols, making observations and investigating reports of illegal fishing.^[10]

In 2001 the Chinese government approved a Conservation Action Plan for Cetaceans of the Yangtze River. This plan re-emphasised the three measures identified at the 1986 workshop and was adopted as the national policy for the conservation of the Baiji. Despite all of these workshops and conventions little money was available in China to aid the conservation efforts. It has been estimated that US$1 million was needed to begin the project and maintain it for a further 3 years.^[27]

Efforts to save the mammals proved to be too little and too late. August Pfluger, chief executive of the Baiji.org Foundation, said, "The strategy of the Chinese government was a good one, but we didn't have time to put it into action."^[28]

In-situ conservation

Most scientists agreed that the best course of action was an ex-situ effort working in parallel with an in-situ effort. The deterioration of the Yangtze River had to be reversed to preserve the habitat. The ex-situ projects aimed to raise a large enough population over time so that some, if not all, of the dolphins could be returned to the Yangtze, so the habitat within the river had to be maintained anyway. Ex-situ conservation means literally, off-site conservation. It is the process of protecting an endangered species of plant or animal by removing it from an unsafe or threatened habitat and placing it or part of it under the care of humans. ... In-situ conservation means on-site conservation. It is the process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat, either by protecting or cleaning up the habitat itself, or by defending the species from predators. ...

Ex-situ conservation

The Shishou Tian-e-Zhou is a 21 kilometre (13 mile) long, 2 kilometre (1.2 mile) wide oxbow lake located near Shishou City in Hubei Province. Shishou has been described as being "like a miniature Yangtze … possessing all of the requirements for a semi-natural reserve". From the designation as a national reserve in 1992 it has been intended to be used for not only the Baiji but also the Yangtze Finless Porpoise. In 1990 the first Finless Porpoises were relocated to the reserve and since then have been surviving and reproducing well. As of April 2005 26 Finless Porpoises were known to live in the reserve. A Baiji was introduced in December 1995, but died during the summer flood of 1996. To deal with these annual floods a dyke was constructed between the Yangtze and Shishou. Now water is controlled from a sluice gate located at the downstream mouth of the oxbow lake. It has been reported that since the installation of this sluice gate, water quality has declined since no annual transfer of nutrients can occur. Roughly 6,700 people live on the ‘island’ within the oxbow lake and so some limited fishing is permitted. ^[10] Songhua River, northeast China. ... Binomial name Neophocaena phocaeniodes (G. Cuvier, 1829) Finless Porpoise range The Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaeniodes) is one of six porpoise species. ... April 2005 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → Hamas and Islamic Jihad have declared, in principle, their intention to join the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). ...

Success of Shishou with the porpoises and with migratory birds and other wetland fauna has encouraged the local Wetlands Management Team to put forward an application to award the site Ramsar status.^[29] It has also been noted that the site has incredible potential for ecotourism, which could be used to generate much needed revenue to improve the quality of the reserve. The necessary infrastructure does not currently exist to realize these opportunities. The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i. ...

Captive specimens

A Baiji conservation dolphinarium was established at the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) in Wuhan in 1992. This was planned as a backup to any other conservation efforts by producing an area completely protected from any threats, and where the Baiji could be easily observed. The site includes an indoor and outdoor holding pool, a water filtration system, food storage and preparation facilities, research labs and a small museum. The aim is to also generate income from tourism which can be put towards the Baiji plight. The pools are not very large (25 m arc [kidney shaped] x 7 m wide x 3.5 m deep, 10 m diameter, 2 m deep and 12 m diameter, 3.5 m deep) and so are not capable of holding many Baijis at one time. Dolphinarium is a great aquarium for dolphins. ...

Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine documented their encounters with the endangered animals on their conservation travels for the BBC programme Last Chance to See. The book by the same name, published in 1990, included pictures of a captive specimen, a male named Qi Qi (淇淇) that lived in the Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology dolphinarium from 1980 to July 14, 2002. Discovered by a fisherman in Dongting Lake, it became the sole resident of the Baiji Dolphinarium (白鱀豚水族馆) beside East Lake. A sexually mature female was captured in late 1995, but died after half a year in 1996 when the Shishou Tian-e-Zhou Baiji Semi-natural Reserve (石首半自然白鱀豚保护区), which had contained only Finless Porpoises since 1990, was flooded. Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ... Mark Carwardine (born 1959-03-09) is a zoologist, who at one time was affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund, and has been a free lance writer, photographer and zoologist since 1986. ... The front cover of the first US hardcover edition of Last Chance to See. ... Dolphinarium is a great aquarium for dolphins. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Dongting Lake or Lake Dongting (also Dong Lake, 洞庭湖; Pinyin: Dòngtíng hú; Wade-Giles: Tung-ting Hu) is a large, shallow lake in northeastern Hunan Province of China. ... Binomial name Neophocaena phocaeniodes (G. Cuvier, 1829) Finless Porpoise range The Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaeniodes) is one of six porpoise species. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ...

Nanjing Normal University (Chinese: 南京师范大学; Pinyin: ) is a normal university located in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 90th day of the year (91st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Current status

See also: Yangtze Freshwater Dolphin Expedition 2006

Two research vessels cruising the Yangtze in search of the Baiji.

The Xinhua News Agency announced on 4 December 2006 that no Chinese River Dolphins were detected in a six-week survey of the Yangtze River conducted by 30 researchers. The failure of the Yangtze Freshwater Dolphin Expedition (simplified Chinese: 长江淡水豚类考察; traditional Chinese: 長江淡水豚類考察; pinyin: Chāng Jiāng dànshuǐ tún lèikǎochá) raised suspicions of the first unequivocal extinction of a cetacean species due to human action^[30] (some extinct baleen whale populations might not have been distinct species). Poor water and weather conditions may have prevented sightings,^[3] but expedition leaders declared it "functionally extinct" on 13 December 2006 as fewer are likely to be alive than are needed to propagate the species.^[3] Although on a hopeful note, footage believed to be a baiji from August 2007 was released to the public.^[31] Two of the expedition boats on the Yangtze The Yangtze Freshwater Dolphin Expedition 2006 was a six-week search expedition undertaken in November and December 2006 in the city of Wuhan in central China in an attempt to locate continued proof of the existence of the endangered Baiji Yangtze Dolphin. ... Image File history File links Two_expedition_boats_cruise_along_the_Yangtze_. ... Image File history File links Two_expedition_boats_cruise_along_the_Yangtze_. ... Front gate of the main building of Xinhua News Agency in Beijing For other uses, see Xinhua (disambiguation). ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Two of the expedition boats on the Yangtze The Yangtze Freshwater Dolphin Expedition 2006 was a six-week search expedition undertaken in November and December 2006 in the city of Wuhan in central China in an attempt to locate continued proof of the existence of the endangered Baiji Yangtze Dolphin. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Suborders Mysticeti Odontoceti (see text) The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... Functional extinction is the extinction of a species or other taxon, as measured by one of the following: it disappears from the fossil record, or historic reports of its existence cease[1] the population is reduced to an extent that it no longer plays a significant role in ecosystem function... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Japanese Sea Lion and Caribbean Monk Seal disappeared in the 1950s, the last aquatic mammals to become extinct. Several land-based mammal species and subspecies have disappeared since then. If the Baiji is now extinct, the Pacific Northern Right Whale has become the most endangered mammal species. Binomial name (Peters, 1866) The Japanese Sea Lion (Zalophus japonicus or Zalophus californianus japonicus) is thought to have gone extinct in the 1950s. ... Binomial name Monachus tropicalis (Gray, 1850) The Caribbean Monk Seal or West Indian Monk Seal (Monachus tropicalis), the only seal ever known to be native to the Caribbean sea and the Gulf of Mexico, is now considered extinct. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... This article is about the zoological term. ... Species  Balaena mysticetus  Eubalaena australis  Eubalaena glacialis  Eubalaena japonica Northern Right Whale range Southern Right Whale range The right whales are marine mammals belonging to the family Balaenidae. ...

Some scientists retain hope for the species:

A report of the expedition was published online in the journal Biology Letters on August 7th, 2007, in which the authors conclude "We are forced to conclude that the baiji is now likely to be extinct, probably due to unsustainable by-catch in local fisheries"^[33] The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization for the conservation, research and restoration of the natural environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

A possible sighting of one of the dolphins in Anhui Province was reported on August 29, 2007.^[34][35] Anhui (Chinese: 安徽; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: An-hui; Postal System Pinyin: Ngan-hui, Anhwei or An-hwei) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Some reports suggest that information about the baiji and its demise is being suppressed in China.^[36] But in fact it is widely reported and discussed, including government media China Central Television and Xinhua News Agency.^[37] China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV (simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the major television broadcaster in Mainland China. ... Front gate of the main building of Xinhua News Agency in Beijing For other uses, see Xinhua (disambiguation). ...

The IUCN will likely accept a proposal to change the conversation status from "critically endangered" to "critically endangered (possibly extinct)" in time for the updated Red List, due out on 12 September, 2007^[38]. An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. ...

In August 2007, Zeng Yujiang reportedly videotaped a large white animal swimming in the Yangtze.^[2] Wang Kexiong of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has tentatively confirmed that the animal on the video is a baiji.

The lives of Finless porpoise are also in risk. 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, while a forum of officials and experts warned of a possible “environmental catastrophe” if preventive measures are not taken.^[39][40][41] Currently, the quality of water in the Yangtze is falling rapidly, due to the dam's preventing dispersal of pollutants; algae blooms have risen progressively since the dam’s construction; and soil erosion has increased, causing riverbank collapses and landslides.^[42] The report detailing this was officially released in September 2007.^[43] Senior Chinese government officials and scholars said the dam could cause a “huge disaster ... if steps are not taken promptly.”^[42] The same scholars and officials previously had defended the Three Gorges Dam project.^[44] Xinhua also reported that tens of billions of yuan had been spent to prevent pollution and geological disasters by tree planting, measures to maintain species diversification, shutting 1500 polluting industrial and mining enterprises and building 70 sewage and waste treatment plants, all of which are "progressing well." ^[44] Binomial name Neophocaena phocaeniodes (G. Cuvier, 1829) Finless Porpoise range The Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaeniodes) is one of six porpoise species. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

See also

• List of extinct animals of Asia
• List of extinct mammals
• Finless Porpoise
• Yangtze River

This image shows the fluke of Sperm Whale as it begins a dive into the Gulf of Mexico. ... The list of extinct animals of Asia features the animals that have become extinct along the history in the Asian Continent. ... // A large number of historical orders are extinct, e. ... Binomial name Neophocaena phocaeniodes (G. Cuvier, 1829) Finless Porpoise range The Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaeniodes) is one of six porpoise species. ... The Yangtze River or Chang Jiang (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), or Drichu in Tibetan (Tibetan: འབ; Wylie: bri chu) is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world, after the Nile in Africa, and the Amazon in South America. ...

References

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “TIME” redirects here. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Lipotes vexillifer

Wikispecies has information related to:

Lipotes vexillifer

• ARKive - images and movies of the Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer)
• Lipotes vexillifer - EDGE of Existence
• The Baiji Foundation - Networking Expertise for Conservation of Freshwater Biodiversity
• The Nature Conservancy's Species Profile: Yangtze Dolphin
• Animal Info page on Baiji
• Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS)
• "Lipotes vexillifer: Baiji or Chinese River Dolphin" (cetacea.org, via Internet Archive)
• whale-web.com
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Species Profile
• Lipotes vexillifer, Endangered and Protected Species Database of Chinese Animals
• uBio Namebank entry
• earthOCEAN.tv, "Wake of the Baiji"

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikispecies-logo. ... Wikispecies is a wiki-based online project supported by the Wikimedia Foundation that aims to create a comprehensive free content catalogue of all species (including animalia, plantae, fungi, bacteria, archaea, and protista). ... The logo of Internet Archive The Internet Archive (IA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining an on-line library and archive of Web and multimedia resources. ...

News

• Discovery News "White Dolphin Appears From the Brink"
• Null Hypothesis "R.I.P. Yangtse River Dolphin"
• BBC News "Last chance for China's dolphin"
• BBC News "Failure in Yangtze dolphin search"
• The Baiji Foundation "Hope dies last"
• Baiji is functionally extinct
• Search for Baiji
• New Scientist "Yangtze river dolphin is almost certainly extinct"
• China's White Dolphin Likely Extinct
• Scientific American August 08, 2007, "Requiem for a Freshwater Dolphin"