The Amazon river dolphin, or boto, faces mounting threats from deliberate killing for bait, mercury contamination from gold mining, and dam construction that fragments their river habitat.
Amazon river dolphins face a combination of direct persecution and habitat degradation that creates severe welfare concerns for individuals and the population as a whole. Deliberate killing for bait is particularly troubling — botos are killed by methods including harpoons and poison, causing acute suffering. Mercury contamination from gold mining causes neurological damage, immune suppression, and chronic illness in affected individuals. Dam construction separates populations and eliminates access to floodplain areas that provide critical dry-season refuge and food resources. The combination of these threats means that botos in many river systems are experiencing chronic stressors across their entire range.