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Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA...
Long-finned pilot whale

Unusual activity witnessed before pilot whale stranding

Just days after a pod of long-finned pilot whales stranded on an island in the...

Sanctuary Brings Hope For Freshwater Dolphins In Asia

The Government of Bangladesh has recently declared three new wildlife sanctuaries for endangered freshwater dolphins in the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem – the Sundarbans.

The sanctuaries, which were officially declared on January 29, will protect the last two remaining species of freshwater dolphins in Asia; the Ganges River dolphin and the Irrawaddy dolphin. Although there is no global population estimate for either species, both have been in decline. But, they occur in the Sundarbans in sufficient numbers, and so the sanctuary may serve to prevent their extinction. The dolphins are under threat from entanglements in fishing nets used by local fishermen and also reduced prey to feed on. News of the declared sanctuaries is particularly welcome following the recent extinction of the Yangtze River dolphin whose last confirmed sighting was in 2002. Similar threats killed off this species after having survived in the Yangtze River of China for more than 10 million years.

For more information on our protected areas and sanctuaries campaign click here