The baiji dolphin is believed to have gone extinct in the early 2000s. No one has seen a baiji in nature since 2002. The baiji had some of the most advanced sonar of any dolphin species. Learn more about this remarkable animal in Baiji Dolphin, an Extinct Animals book.

The tragic recognition of the extinction of the Yangtze River Dolphin or baiji in 2007 became a major news story and sent shockwaves around the world. It made a romantic story, for the baiji was a unique and beautiful creature that features in many Chinese legends and folk tales. The Goddess of the Yangtze, as it was known, was also the lone representative of an entire and ancient branch of the Tree of Life. But perhaps the greater tragedy is that its status as one of the world's most threatened mammals had been widely recognized, yet despite wide publicity virtually no international funds became available. A compelling read by a young naturalist, Samuel Turvey tells the story of the plight of the Yangtze River Dolphin from his unique perspective as a conservation biologist deeply involved in the struggle to save the dolphin. This is both a celebration of a beautiful and remarkable animal that once graced one of China's greatest rivers, its natural history and its role as a cultural symbol; and also a personal, eyewitness account of the failures of policy and the struggle to get funds that led to its tragic demise. It is a true cautionary tale that we must learn from, for there are countless other threatened species that will suffer from the same human mistakes, and whose loss we shall not know until it is too late.

Samuel Turvey here tells the story of the plight of the Yangtze River Dolphin from his unique perspective as a conservation biologist deeply involved in the struggle to save this species. His book is at once a celebration of a beautiful and remarkable animal that once graced one of China's greatest rivers; a study of the dolphin's natural history and its role as a cultural symbol; and a personal, eyewitness account of the failure to obtain funds that led to the dolphin's demise.

Yangtze River dolphins, also known as Baiji, have splashed in the waters of Chinas Yangtze River for millions of years. The Chinese people have always loved these mammals. They considered the Baiji to be a beautiful part of their river, and they have told many stories about them. Today, the Yangtze is a very different place. Trash floats in the water, and toxic chemicals pollute it. Thousands of boats travel up and down the river every day, and people use dangerous fishing equipment with sharp rolling hooks. The Yangtze River is no longer a safe place for the Baiji to live. Most of them have died out. Scientists worry that it might be too late for these dolphins. Is there any way to save them?

This engaging series examines some of today's most endangered species.

Describes different kinds of dolphins, including the bottlenose dolphin, Commerson's dolphin, and Chinese river dolphin, and discusses how they live and what can be done to save them from extinction.