Think for a moment: where is your garbage going? Where is your residual water going? What is your pollution footprint on the planet?

Do you know that some dolphin species are in danger of extinction? Although it seems obvious because there is a long list of animals which are in such condition, the truth is that many people ignore the critical preservation condition in which many dolphin species are.

Dolphins live in an environment in which threats from predators, although rare, are possible. Thanks to their complex social structure and their sense of echolocation, they can usually circumvent the risks that killer whales (even though these are dolphins) and sharks represent, however, the human activities have had a powerful impact on these animals.

Yes, some of the cute and friendly dolphins are in danger of extinction and others go the same way if we do not act now. And yes, it is humanity who must act because they have the greatest responsibility in the situation. Do you help protect dolphins?

About ten species of dolphins are in a severe danger of extinction.

STEPS TO THE END

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), all species have a level of danger or conservation. This organization makes this assessment classifying animals after a study that reveals their status on the planet and ranks them in one of the categories: Not Evaluated, Data deficient, Least Concern, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in Wild and Extinct.

An animal is in danger if it has a classification in the Red List starting from the Vulnerable category. However, the first two categories are also worrying, since ignorance implies the lack of actions, that is, if a species classification is Data Deficient, could be threatened, but we just do not know it, and there are not strategies to preserve it.

SOME DOLPHINS FALLING IN THIS STATUS ARE:

– Commerson’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii). Data Deficient.
– Heaviside’s (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii). Data Deficient.
– Long-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis). Data Deficient.
– Clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene). Data Deficient.
– Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis). Data Deficient.

For its part, the Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis) it is the only one that does not have any classification.

SEVERELY THREATENED DOLPHINS

About ten species of dolphins are at serious risk. The number seems small, but we must take into account that the number of species of dolphins is around 43, so we are close to 25%. One of every four species of dolphins is close to extinction.

A particular case is the Baiji or Chinese river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer), a species that inhabited only the Yangtze River in China. For a long time, the population gradually reduced as result of pollution and bycatch, and nobody took action, and when a river inspection was carried out in 2006, the researchers did not find a single dolphin.

As result of this investigation the species Lipotes vexillifer was declared to be functionally extinct, and although probably there were only a few specimens not seen by scientists at that time, the species will not be able to recover. In 2007 there was a report of a sighting, but although there is no confirmation of this, it is possible that there are a few river dolphins alive yet.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the most threatened dolphins are:

– Baiji or Chinese river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer). Critically Endangered.
– Hector’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Endangered.
– Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) and Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor). Both Endangered.
– Chilean dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia). Near Threatened.
– Australian snubfin dolphin (Orcaella Heinsohni). Near Threatened.
– Chinese white dolphin (Sousa chinensis). Near Threatened.
Sousa chinensis includes the subspecies Sousa chinensis chinensis and Sousa chinensis plumbea.
– Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (Sousa teuszii). Vulnerable.
– La Plata dolphin (Pointporia blainvillei). Vulnerable.
– Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris). Vulnerable.

As can be seen, there are several river dolphins in the list, which is a major problem for their recovery, as their distribution is very limited, the rivers are more polluted than the ocean, and river populations are usually smaller than the oceanic ones.

THE FUTURE OF THREATENED DOLPHINS

This scenario should not be underestimated. The rate of exploitation and reduction of the populations is no longer sustainable, and if some other dolphin species get extinct, this will create imbalances in the food chain, as these animals are at the top of the chain.

Some dolphins have an uncertain future, but the positive side of all this is that there are people concerned and not only that but also working actively to protect these animals. If you want to know the specific strategies implemented to attack the problem, visit the Dolphins conservation strategies article.

THREATS AND DANGERS TO DOLPHIN SURVIVAL.

Wild dolphins face some natural dangers in the ocean. However, the most overwhelming threats to their existence are the consequences of human activities.

Some dolphin species are in danger of becoming extinct, and alarming statistics suggest that illegal dynamite fishing, entanglement in fishing nets, collisions with boats and propellers, marine pollution, disease and beaching due to sonar interference, kill an increasing number of dolphins every year.

Research suggests that over 95% of dolphin deaths are directly attributable to anthropogenic causes.

SOME OF THE DOLPHIN THREATS RELATED TO MAN ARE:

INCREASING CAPTIVITY

The capture of dolphins for research and entertainment is contributing to their mortality at an alarming rate. Conservationists insist that the capture process itself is resulting in more deaths and the transportation, the exposure to diseases in captivity tanks, are added dangers that dolphins have to face when extracted from their natural environment.

The increased popularity of swimming with dolphins programs have brought more dolphins into captivity.

UNSTOPPABLE CHEMICAL POLLUTION

Another threat to dolphins in the wild is the contamination of their natural habitat from oil, chemical and heavy metal pollutants which cause them illness and higher infant mortality rates.

Since dolphins are at the top of the food chain, the impact of contamination on them is even higher as they eat fish and animals contaminated in different places.

NOISE POLLUTION.

Noise pollution is also a dangerous threat to dolphins in the wild.
Activities like oil drilling, navigational sonars, and even ship engines create continuous streams of underwater sounds that can disorient or even damage their hearing capabilities.

SEA TRAFFIC

Another cause of death are the injuries suffered by the entanglement in cages, shark safety nets and fishing nets as well as collisions with ships and propellers.

The increasing maritime traffic produces this kind of inconvenience for all the marine life.

NATURAL CAUSES.

In addition to anthropogenic threats, wild dolphins are also victims of predators. Regardless they are at the top of the food chain. Still, they have to compete with sharks and larger toothed whales for food.

The effect of Global Warming or seasonal weather changes has reduced their food sources, impacting the survival of dolphins in the wild.

References

Erich Hoyt. Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises: A World Handbook for Cetacean Habitat Conservation and Planning. Routledge, 2012.

seethewild.org/dolphin-threats/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/sep/28/hectors-dolphins-near-extinction

Judith S Weis. Physiological, Developmental and Behavioral Effects of Marine Pollution. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.

Judith S. Weis. Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press, 2015.

]]> https://www.dolphins-world.com/dolphin-conservation-efforts/ Wed, 26 Apr 2017 05:31:03 +0000 http://www.dolphins-world.com/?p=62 Dolphin Threats and Conservation

All the animal species in the world are an important part of the Earth’s ecosystem, and dolphins are no exception. However, some species of these cetaceans have a difficult time, full of dangers that have put many of them on the brink of extinction.

WHY PROTECT DOLPHINS?

From an ethical point of view, all species deserve to survive in nature and have an optimal life without suffering; From a biological perspective, their disappearance causes irregularities in the food chain that affects other natural processes, even affecting us indirectly.

Their presence in the world is not appreciated as it should be. Dolphins may have an image of friendly and charming animals, but probably their existence is not believed necessary for the survival of other life forms. Would life on Earth be the same without them?

The truth is that dolphins are an inherent part of the cultural history of humanity. They have accompanied humans on their sea voyages for thousands of years, and such presence appears in many artistic expressions of both ancient and modern cultures. They are part of the tiny group of animals that can approach voluntarily to humans, with no intention of doing harm. They can even save human lives, as has been reported throughout history.

Dolphins are indicators of the health of the ocean biome as their presence or absence can give an idea of ​​the general state of these areas.

Dolphins play a significant role in the balance of the ecosystems. Its high position in the food chain allows them to feed on small prey that can be old or diseased. In these cases, dolphins “clean” the area and thus prevent the spread of diseases. Likewise, their non-existence in a zone can have consequences such as the appearance of pests as there are no species that feed on lower-level animals in the food chain. In this sense, dolphins are also indicators of the health of the ocean biome as their presence or absence can give an idea of ​​the general condition of an area.

What about their intelligence? Dolphins have given humans lots of knowledge about their lives that have supported the development of studies, devices, and programs applied to human life. Understanding their echolocation is useful in scientific and military programs, and their intelligence and complex communication skills are the subjects of scientific interest, and some envision the design of a form of communication between humans and dolphins. The possibilities are endless.

WHAT ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT DOLPHIN CONSERVATION?

Many governmental and non-governmental organizations that support marine life are responsible for protecting dolphin species. Some target mainly some particular species and others include other cetaceans such as whales and porpoises. All organizations work with different strategies and programs, but with the common goal of protecting dolphins.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is one of those international, non-profit organizations that works to protect and save lives of whales, dolphins, and porpoises to offer them a great future. This group operates in association with the CMS (Convention on Migratory Species), an agency in charge of protecting terrestrial, airborne and marine migratory species, including dolphins.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is one of the largest organizations in this area. It protects all odontocete cetaceans, including dolphins. Its Appendices I, II and III contain species in different degrees of protection, where the III includes the species with the highest level of risk. Many dolphins are in Appendix II, which includes animals that need to regulate their trade or soon will be in danger of extinction.

The International Whaling Commission, on its side, instructs its members to report dolphin catches for the production of reports to support research on these cetaceans.

Responsibility does not lie entirely with these organizations. Many countries also sponsor the welfare of these animals and have strategies to conserve them. In the United States, the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act is an agreement administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) which includes the illegality of harassment, feeding, appropriation, killing or any other harm to Marine mammals in US waters.

Asian freshwater dolphins are in a severe danger of extinction despite that the Authorities tried to counteract the problem. For example, India declared the dolphin its national animal in an attempt to emphasize the conservation of the Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica). There, they created the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary. In China, the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society is a non-governmental organization that performs various protection activities.

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH DOLPHIN CONSERVATION?

Anyone interested in the future of dolphins and the balance of the natural ecosystems can contribute to the preservation of dolphins, either directly or indirectly. The following conservation strategies are useful and easy to do if you want to help:

Anyone can contribute to the preservation of dolphins.

Reduce the use of plastic bags and other products. Once in the water, these objects become deadly weapons that can be ingested by many animals or injure them.

Use natural or biodegradable cleaning products that avoid water pollution in the habitat of dolphins.

Buy tuna labeled “Dolphin Safe,” Which indicates that the fishers used dolphin-safe nets.

In general, implementing the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle; diminishes water pollution.

Participate in coastal cleaning programs.

Avoid going to Dolphinariums could help to reduce the capture of wild dolphins since some have unpleasant experiences when caught to end their life in captivity.

Do not feed wild dolphins. Food for humans is not healthy for dolphins and could change their eating behavior.

Work in organizations and conservation programs of dolphins, as much as possible.

Protect dolphins, and nature will thank you.

DOLPHIN CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Dolphins are at risk mainly due to anthropogenic causes. In all the bodies of water where they reside, humans have contributed to contaminate them with plastic, chemicals, and oil. These forms of pollution can harm the dolphins internally, but they can also kill their food resources, so it becomes harder every day for dolphins to find enough to survive.

Additionally, commercial fishing is another significant danger to dolphins because they get caught in nets or other devices, besides further reducing food availability.

Humans and their water-related activities such as recreational activities or maritime traffic are extremely common in the areas where dolphins live. The risk of injury or death from being struck by boats and propellers is very likely.

In some regions, the intentional catch of dolphins for their meat and oil is also common. While only a small population of people consume them, there is a market for it, that result in many of them needlessly killed every single year. Some of the conservation efforts have involved putting pressure on the governments of those countries to ban such hunting.

Dolphins have very sensitive skin. Many debris and garbage in the water that humans put there can rip their skin and make them vulnerable to bacteria or infections. They are already prone to a variety of diseases and parasites, so this makes them more susceptible.

The noise that dolphins experience including naval sonar, explosions in the water, construction, and boats can all contribute to high levels of stress for dolphins.

There are some conservation efforts in place to preserve dolphins so that they can survive. However, some species like the Ganges River Dolphin are considered to be critically endangered or already extinct at this point.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 both offer dolphins some protection, but it isn’t enough.

In 1984, amendments were made to the Marine Mammal Protection Act so that there could be more protection for dolphins. Commercial tuna fishing is a huge risk for dolphins because they follow this fish, so the Department of Commerce banned imports of tuna from fishing fleet locations that didn’t have methods in place to reduce dolphin incidental kill rates that were comparable to those of the USA. However, by 1988 those dolphin deaths in other locations around the world were still four times higher than those in the USA.

Many environmental protection groups boycotted the purchase of tuna to help make a stand against it. The three principal companies that owned 70% of the market (Bumble Bee, Starkist, and Ralston) voluntarily offered a dolphin-safe only policy. They refused to buy the tuna from any entity that didn’t have safety practices in place to protect dolphins. Even though, bycatch is at is peak now.

The Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act implemented in 1990, provided, further protection to dolphins regarding commercial tuna capture. The International Dolphin Conservation Act passed in 1992 was a five-year strategy to prohibit fleets from capture dolphins in nets.

References

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/

http://savedolphins.eii.org/campaigns/sjd

Michael E. Soulé. Marine Conservation Biology: The Science of Maintaining the Sea’s Biodiversity. Island Press, 2005.

http://wilddolphin.org/you.html

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, Rules Promulgation and Proposed Issuance of Permits to Commercial Fishermen: Environmental Impact Statement. 1974.

Chinese River Dolphin or Baiji Dolphin

Lipotes vexillifer

INFORMATION AND CHARACTERISTICS.

The Chinese river dolphin or Baiji is the rarest freshwater cetacean of all. This affirmation has little to do with their physical appearance and their rare sightings, given the great danger that runs in their natural habitat. In fact, since 2006 nobody has seen a specimen alive, so presumably is already extinct.

Its name in Chinese, Baiji, means “white dolphin” and is known by the nickname of “the goddess of the Yangtsé,” regarding the river that inhabited.

Order: Cetacea
Superfamily: Lipotoidea
Family: Lipotidae
Genus: Lipotes

HOW DO THEY LOOK? PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

This river dolphin is small, with a body fully adapted to life in freshwater systems.

Weight and size.
There is sexual dimorphism since adult females are slightly longer than males. The male length is on average 2.3 meters, and the female is 2.5 meters. Their weight ranges between 135 and 320 kilograms.

Morphology.
It has a fusiform body like the other species of dolphins, but more robust. It has a small head with a prominent melon. The skull is devoid of maxillary ridges. The eyes are quite small in comparison to those of the oceanic dolphins, and this is because in the muddy water of its habitat they do not need to have good visibility. Their round pectoral flippers are very long, and the dorsal fin is short, triangular and situated in the posterior part of the dorsum.

Skin Coloration.
It exhibits countershading characterized by bluish-gray color in the dorsal region and white in the lower part of the body.

Distinctive characteristics.
When this dolphin swims just below the surface of the river, its small dorsal fin protrudes and resembles a flag, so the locals call it “white-flag dolphin.” Another way to recognize the Baiji dolphin is by observing its very long and narrow beak which has the tip curved upwards.

WHERE DO THEY LIVE? DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT.

This species is endemic to the Yangtze River in China but also lived in the Poyang and Dongting lakes of the same country some time ago. Its distribution range extends from the mouth of the Yangtze River to the Gezhouba dam. The last sightings occurred in the middle and lower parts of the Yangtze River.

It inhabits only fresh water and has a marked preference for the tributaries of the river and where there are swirling sandbanks.

WHAT DO THEY EAT? DIET AND EATING HABITS.

The Baiji is a carnivore that feeds on a variety of small fish. It uses its long “beak” to explore the muddy riverbed and detect hidden prey since its vision is not very good. However, it has a highly developed sense of echolocation.

It submerges for 10 or 20 seconds, catch its food and comes back to the surface. It probably does not has preferred prey, but prioritize the capture of large animals.

HOW DO THEY REPRODUCE? MATING AND REPRODUCTION.

Evidently, there is not enough information about this dolphin. The mating system of the Baiji is unknown, but there are two mating seasons per year; The first during the spring and the second during the summer. The highest reproduction time occurs during the first half of the year.

These dolphins reach sexual maturity between 4 and six years of age. After mating, the pregnant female has a gestation period of 10 to 11 months although other estimates indicate that it can be 6 and up to 12. Deliveries occur between February and April, and the offspring are born with a length of 1 meter.

The mother provides dedicated care to the newborn calf helping it to reach the surface to breathe, teaching it to catch food and keeping it close to her, even after weaning.

HOW DO THEY BEHAVE? BEHAVIOR

This cetacean is rather timid, and that is why it is so difficult to observe in its natural habitat. This fact gives hope about its possible extinction.

They usually live in small groups of 3 or 4 dolphins or pairs; The largest pod on record was 16 members. Occasionally they are associated with finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides), cetaceans of fresh water that also undergo a severe decrease of population.

The groups spend most of the day in water swirls looking for food, but they are more active during the nights and until the mornings. They usually rest in areas of slow currents. They communicate by whistles and clicks. They use the latter when they identify prey or other objects in their environment.

Their dives are shallow, boats have seen them on very few occasions. If they come to the surface to breathe, they do it with minimal splashing. Their breathing intervals are short: they last between 10 and 20 seconds; Maximum of 200 seconds.

WHAT IS THEIR CONSERVATION STATUS? THREATS AND CONSERVATION.

Conservation Status: Extinct.

The populations of Chinese river dolphins dramatically began to decrease since China became industrialized. Many cities prospered on the banks of the Yangtze River, and this situation affected the endemic species.

At the beginning of the 1980s, there were approximately 400 specimens. A few years later the number was reduced to 300. By the end of the decade of the 1990s there were 13 individuals, and by 2006, researchers did not find a single Baiji dolphin in the river, so it is possible that it is extinct in the wild. A sighting report in 2007 restored the hope, but unfortunately, the existence of a few individuals is not enough to save the species.

The main threats that Baijis faced and took them to the extinction were:

– Bycatch.
– Illegal fishing. Using electricity and rolling hooks.
– Overfishing. An activity that reduced the number and diversity of available food.
– Contamination produced by companies and factories near the river.
– Collisions with boats.
– Construction of dams that split populations.

This dolphin is protected in China since 1975 and in 1986 Chinese biologists established protection strategies. They even created a dolphin reserve along the Yangtze (Baiji Xin-Luo National Reserve), but obviously, it was too late to get results. Currently, the patrol boats of the reserve are responsible for supervising the compliance of the protection measures and investigating sightings and deaths of species that inhabit the river, but sadly these dolphins are not there anymore.

References

William F. Perrin, Bernd Würsig, J.G.M. ‘Hans’ Thewissen. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press, 2009. Page 71.

http://www.cms.int/reports/small_cetaceans/data/L_vexillifer/L_vexillifer.htm

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lipotes_vexillifer/

http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/dolphins/chinese-river-dolphin.html

There are five species of dolphins that make their homes in rivers, being the most popular of them the Pink Dolphins also known as Boto, Boutu or Amazon River dolphins as it inhabits the Amazon River.

The scientific name of the Pink Dolphins from the Amazon is Inia Geoffrensis and they belong to the genus Inea, part of the family Platanistoidea, which is conformed by the five species of river dolphins.

Pink dolphins are not the same dolphins that you would see in the ocean; they have special adaptations to their habitat. In fact, river dolphins are only distantly related to sea dolphins.

They belong taxonomically speaking to different families. The oceanic dolphins belong to the family delphinidae while river dolphins belong to the family Platanistoidea as we said above.

Among the five species of river dolphins, Amazon pink dolphins are considered the most intelligent of them, with a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans.

Pink dolphins inhabit the Amazon River, but they can also be found in the Orinoco basins and the upper Madeira River as well. While they are mostly pink, these dolphins have various colored skins, which can be light gray, pink, or brown.

The Amazon River pink dolphins conform the largest population of river dolphins in existence as the other four species are functionally extinct or close to extinction.

The river dolphins are among the most endangered species of all the world’s cetaceans. Pink dolphins have been listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a “vulnerable species-threatened” and recently was moved to “endangered species-threatened”

These friendly and social creatures have been living for centuries in the Amazon and its tributaries, but the accelerated destruction of the Amazon basin have put them in a every time more dangerous situation.

The raise in contaminant levels of mercury have caused and increased number of deaths among pink dolphins, especially near gold mines where mercury is used as part of the gold mining process.

The increase of traffic in the Amazon River, also threatens these creatures as they are curious by nature and they sometime approach to vessels where they are easily hurt by the sharp propellers.

Additionally, the noise produced by engines and motors and the sound pollution caused by them, has been considered to produce a disorienting phenomenon in their navigations systems, causing the death of many pink dolphins.

What do Pink Dolphins Eat?

Pink dolphins eat crabs, catfish, small river fish and even small turtles.

As crabs and turtles have to be catch mainly at the bottom of the river, pink dolphins spend a lot of time while swimming looking at the bottom of the river for food.

The boto cervical vertebrae are not fused allowing them to move their head up to 180 degrees, which is a great help for hunting in shallow waters and floodplains.

Hunting fish require some techniques like herding, where they round a fish pod to concentrate fish and take turns for feeding. This procedure is largely used by their oceanic cousins.

Physical Description of Pink Dolphins

In the Amazon Region…There is a legend about the Boto or Pink Dolphin. According to the legend, the Boto turns from man to dolphin and backwards, changing shape at will.

The legend also states that when dolphins find young women on the shore, they changes shape and impregnate them.

This comes from the similarites between certain body parts of the Boto and humans.

There are several other superstitions about the Pink Dolphins in the Amazon River and around.

Pink dolphins can be found in pink, light gray or brown colors but there is not conclusive evidence of the reason why pink dolphins are pink.

It could be an adaptation to the river life or caused by the presence of capillaries near the surface of the skin what provide them such impressive color. Additionally, pink dolphins get pinker when they are excited or surprised, resembling blushing in humans.

The Amazon River dolphin is between six and eight feet long, and weighs between 185 and 355 pounds when it is fully grown.

River dolphins are typically smaller than sea dolphins but they have longer snouts, an adaptation provided by evolution, which is needed to hunt at the bottom of the river. River dolphins also tend to have more pointy teeth than sea dolphins.

Most species of river dolphins are almost blind, due to navigating muddy waters, but their brains are extremely large and well developed, however pink dolphins are considered to have a relatively good sight.

Unlike sea dolphins, river dolphins have what resembles fingers on the ends of their flippers, and their dorsal fins are much smaller than that of sea dolphins or even have humpbacks instead of dorsal fins like the pink river dolphin.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=20h9Tg8BCYU

Behavior of Pink Dolphins

Pink dolphins appear to be the friendliest of all the river dolphins when approaching to humans and some stories of people being pushed to the shores by them are common among some tribes in the Amazon.

They swim up to 30 kilometers in one day, although they usually swim slowly looking for food at the bottom of the river.

“Amazon River Pink Dolphins are typically smaller than sea dolphins but they have longer snouts, an adaptation provided by evolution…”

How do Pink Dolphins Reproduce?

Males and Females mate to start a gestation period which is believed to last from nine to twelve months. Copulation is performed between males and females belly to belly.

Calves are born about 75 cm long and weighing a bit more than 1 Kg.

Pink dolphins deliver their babies when the Amazon River is at its high between the months of May and July.

Pink Dolphin Conservation

The World Conservation Union, also known as International Union for the conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization based in Gland, Switzerland, devoted to the conservation of natural resources.

It was founded in 1948 and groups 83 states, 108 governmental agencies and more than 10,000 scientists and experts from countries around the world.

The IUCN publishes a red list of threatened species which is a reference in the field and the base for conservation of species.

Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Frequently Asked Questions about Pink Dolphins

How Do Pink River Dolphins Reproduce

Why Are Pink River Dolphins Endangered

Why Are Pink Dolphins Pink

Where Do Pink Dolphins Live

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK2Kk4DpTVQ

Pink river dolphins live in the main rivers of the Amazon River and the Orinoco river in South America.

They are endangered because of the increase in population in the basins of these two rivers, increasing the pollution, the river traffic and therefore the accidental killing.

Also, the construction of dams and the pluvial projects have damaged their habitat taking them inevitably to a slow extinction.