Yangtze River finless porpoise – Earth's critically endangered freshwater species facing overfishing and habitat destruction.
There are many endangered species, but none has pulled our heartstrings quite like the Yangtze River finless porpoise. This critically endangered freshwater porpoise belongs to theAccording to the World Wildlife Fund, this fin-less porpoise navigates the murky waters of China’s Yangtze River with an ever-decreasing population of just 1,012 individuals. They call them “smiling porpoises” for their apparent grinning expressions.
The finless porpoise is now grappling with survival. The smiling mammals will face the same fate as the Baiji unless we do something. But when we look at what is causing this, we find that fishing and habitat destruction emerge as the primary antagonists in the story. Yet another ominous threat looms in the form of habitat destruction fueled by the sand industry. According to the Natural History Museum London, sand extraction ranks as one of the world’s most prolific practices after water.
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