River dolphins are among the most endangered cetaceans, facing threats from fishing gear entanglement, habitat degradation, and direct killing for bait. Their welfare and survival are intertwined.
River dolphins suffer from multiple anthropogenic threats that cause both individual welfare harm and population-level decline. Gillnet entanglement causes death by drowning — a particularly distressing end for air-breathing mammals. Boat strike injuries from propellers cause painful lacerations and are increasingly common as river traffic intensifies. Direct killing for bait use causes immediate suffering and represents a welfare emergency requiring urgent enforcement response. The extinction of the baiji stands as a permanent reminder that river dolphin decline can be irreversible — making current conservation and welfare interventions urgently necessary for surviving species.