Lived For Over 20 Million Years And Gone In The Blink Of An Eye - Baiji Dolphins Of Yangtze River

27 November 2021

Natural biodiversity is being decimated by climate change and human activity. Many animals have gone extinct as a result of human activity since the dawn of time. While we may all agree that some historical actions were barbarous, we must not forget that we have all evolved. However, many human actions are still causing the extinction of certain species even now.

Who is to blame for this? While large corporations and multinational corporations (MNCs) construct their businesses on the backs of animals, we must remember that, at the end of the day, we are the consumers for whom corporations manufacture products and services. We have a lot of clout as customers when it comes to sales. Our purchasing decisions have the power to make or break a brand. Many species are becoming extinct as a result of human interference in nature's biodiversity. Every year, certain species vanish from the face of the earth, and Baiji dolphins are one of them.

BAIJI, THE CHINESE RIVER DOLPHIN

The Baiji dolphin was the first of its kind to become extinct in the dolphin family. In 2006, Baiji, or white fin as it is known in Chinese, was declared extinct. It is considered a significant biodiversity loss because no closely related species survive in the same area. Excessive hunting for meat, oil, and leather led to the mammal's extinction. These creatures were reported to have existed for almost 20 million years on the banks of the Yangtze River in China. In the blink of an eye, a healthy population of about 6000 dolphins went extinct.

All of the steps made to give Baiji one last chance to live appeared to be too late. Even one Baiji who had relocated to a reserve to protect it and breed in order to increase its population died during the summer floods. Baiji was the lone member of the Lipotidae family of river dolphins.

THINGS WE BET YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT BAIJI DOLPHINS

Dolphins are among the most adorable animals on the planet. Baiji dolphins were intelligent and aloof at the same time. To find food, they employ echolocation. They use audio signals and whistles to communicate with other dolphins. They can grow to be 2.6 meters long and swim at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour. While swimming, they employ a sonar system to identify any threat. Female Baijis are known as cows, while male Baijis are known as bulls. It is the first dolphin species to be wiped off.

CAUSE OF EXTINCTION

Baiji was hunted for meat, leather, and oil during the early stages of industrialization. The settlement of human populations along the riverbank is another reason. The Yangtze basin is also claimed to have housed roughly 10% of the world's population in 2012. The river became extremely congested as a result of this, and it was utilized by thousands of people and cargo vessels, polluting it extensively with plastics, sewage, and oil. 

The construction of the Three Gorges Dam was the final straw in the Baiji's demise. Construction of this dam meant the last of its spawning grounds for Baiji was endangered because of a change in water temperatures due to a drop in water levels.  While all of these factors contributed to Baiji's extinction, the primary cause was uncontrolled and nonselective fishing. Electrocution, dynamite fishing, fisheries, and gill nets are examples of destructive fishing tactics. To summarise, unintentional death or bycatch, rather than direct hunting, had a major role in Baiji's extinction.

ARE THEY REALLY EXTINCT?

Hunting of Baiji was banned for more than ten years before it was considered extinct. Even a six-week-long hunt to spot one failed. On December 31, 2019, the Yangtze River White Sturgeon was declared extinct after all none of them was discovered for a very long time. The story of Baiji is something for all of us to learn from. As the most evolved species, it becomes our responsibility to protect the endangered. Not just those but also other beings whose ecosystems are disrupted as a result of human actions.

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