River dolphins are among the most endangered cetaceans, confined to river systems heavily impacted by human development. Their welfare is threatened by entanglement, pollution, boat traffic, and habitat modification.
River dolphin welfare exists in one of the most severely human-impacted environments on Earth. River systems face industrial pollution, heavy fishing pressure, boat traffic, dam construction, and sand dredging simultaneously. Mercury from gold mining accumulates in Amazon boto tissue at levels causing reproductive and neurological effects. Entanglement in gillnets is a significant mortality cause — dolphins cannot breathe when caught in nets and drown. Dam construction eliminates seasonal floodplain habitats that dolphins use for foraging and social interaction. The extinction of the Baiji demonstrates that river dolphins can be driven to extinction within decades without dramatic intervention. Emergency conservation programs for the Yangtze finless porpoise represent the last chance to prevent a second river cetacean extinction.