2,381 endangered dolphins live in south China river estuary

A total of 2,381 Chinese white dolphins, an endangered species, have been identified as living in the Pearl River Estuary, local authorities said yesterday, according to Xinhua.

As of 2011, the administration of the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin Reserve, has continued to monitor the dolphins and found that their numbers in the Pearl River Estuary accounted for a half of the total population of the species in China, said sources within the administration.

The current Chinese White Dolphin population in the Pearl River consists of six generations of the dolphin, including the early infancy and infancy stage, juvenile stage, adolescence stage, mature stage and senile stage, the sources said.

The dolphin, which is under state protection, can be found in just a handful of coastal areas, with the Pearl River Estuary a major habitat in China.

Recent developments in the Pearl River Estuary, such as the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, raised concerns about the population of Chinese White Dolphins. It was reported by environmental and ecological activists that the population has been shrinking. DB

Categories Greater Bay