Wild River Dolphin Welfare: Freshwater Conservation

River dolphins including the Ganges, Irrawaddy, and Amazon pink dolphin face habitat degradation, entanglement, and pollution in freshwater systems with limited conservation infrastructure.

Key Facts

The Yangtze River dolphin (baiji) was declared functionally extinct in 2006 - the first cetacean extinction in modern history
The Indus River dolphin and Ganges River dolphin are Endangered with fewer than 3,500 remaining
River dolphins navigate by echolocation and are highly vulnerable to boat noise and propeller strikes
Gill net entanglement is a leading cause of mortality in all remaining river dolphin species
Amazon pink dolphins (boto) are targeted by fishers who use their meat as fish bait

Welfare Considerations

River dolphins surviving in heavily polluted, trafficked waterways face a gauntlet of welfare harms including noise-impaired echolocation, chemical contamination, direct persecution, and entanglement. The extinction of the baiji represents the permanent loss of a unique evolutionary lineage and a massive welfare failure. Remaining river dolphin species require emergency protection to avoid similar fates.

What You Can Do

Support WWF and other organizations running river dolphin conservation programs
Advocate for gill net restrictions in critical river dolphin habitat
Never purchase dolphin-derived products in range countries
Support research into river dolphin welfare indicators and population monitoring