Conservation Case Study
Critically Endangered- Baiji River Dolphin
General Information
The Baiji River Dolphin also known as the Yangtze River dolphin, white-flag dolphin, or by its scientific name Lipotes vexillifer, is a fresh water dolphin that is critically endangered since 1996 by the IUCN red list. As one of its names constitutes, Baiji dolphins are endemic to the Yangtze River. The Baiji River Dolphin is pale blue/gray and white under. They live approximately for 25 years. These dolphins consume a wide variety of freshwater fishes. The Baiji Dolphins are quite shy, consequently there isn’t much information given about their behavior. They depend largely on underwater sound for communication, feeding and orientation. Just like other …show more content…
Therefore it is exposed to a lot of human pressure and pollution. Among the possible threat caused by humans is fishing. Fishing with the use of electricity has to the death of about 40 individuals. In other cases the dolphins get tangle in fishing gear. On certain occasions ships carrying pesticide may flip over, this further pollutes the ecosystem, leading to more and more deaths. Another root cause to the pollution in the Yangtze is the fact that every year, 15.6 billion cubic meters of wastewater is disposed off into it. There is also a lot of traffic with all the boats and ships circulating, which can bring up unwanted noises and boat strikes. Another factor that has lead to the pollution in the Yangtze River is the construction of dams. Building dams has lead to a decrease in the fish population, which therefore leads a decrease in the dolphin population. The last documented sighting of the Baiji Dolphin was in 2002. Other settings have been claimed since then, but they lack physical evidence. The scarcity and absence of sightings leads to conclusion that the dolphins might either be extinct or near to …show more content…
The Australian government and other organizations should have done something sooner rather than later. Even though scientists have been working on cloning, we would most probably never see the thylacine again.
Improved by Intervention- The African Elephant
General Information
The African Elephant, also known by its scientific name Loxodonta africana, is the world’s largest terrestrial animal. The species has been ranked vulnerable by the IUCN red list in 2004, after it was rehabilitated. The African elephant is grey-brown in color, and weighs about 4 tons. They live to about 70 years. It also has large ears for heat loss. The African elephant eats leaves, branches and bushes from trees. It also eats fruits, grasses and bark. The African Elephants live in herds, which are mostly composed of the mother and its calves. In certain cases there may be several families that travel together that form a larger herd that may go up to 70 elephants. African Elephants are active both during the day and the night. Food and water are the most essential factors when determining the habitat of the species. The elephants migrate long distances at times to find a suitable environment for themselves.
BIODIVERSITY
Survival
Critically Endangered- Baiji River Dolphin
General Information
The Baiji River Dolphin also known as the Yangtze River dolphin, white-flag dolphin, or by its scientific name Lipotes vexillifer, is a fresh water dolphin that is critically endangered since 1996 by the IUCN red list. As one of its names constitutes, Baiji dolphins are endemic to the Yangtze River. The Baiji River Dolphin is pale blue/gray and white under. They live approximately for 25 years. These dolphins consume a wide variety of freshwater fishes. The Baiji Dolphins are quite shy, consequently there isn’t much information given about their behavior. They depend largely on underwater sound for communication, feeding and orientation. Just like other …show more content…
Therefore it is exposed to a lot of human pressure and pollution. Among the possible threat caused by humans is fishing. Fishing with the use of electricity has to the death of about 40 individuals. In other cases the dolphins get tangle in fishing gear. On certain occasions ships carrying pesticide may flip over, this further pollutes the ecosystem, leading to more and more deaths. Another root cause to the pollution in the Yangtze is the fact that every year, 15.6 billion cubic meters of wastewater is disposed off into it. There is also a lot of traffic with all the boats and ships circulating, which can bring up unwanted noises and boat strikes. Another factor that has lead to the pollution in the Yangtze River is the construction of dams. Building dams has lead to a decrease in the fish population, which therefore leads a decrease in the dolphin population. The last documented sighting of the Baiji Dolphin was in 2002. Other settings have been claimed since then, but they lack physical evidence. The scarcity and absence of sightings leads to conclusion that the dolphins might either be extinct or near to …show more content…
The Australian government and other organizations should have done something sooner rather than later. Even though scientists have been working on cloning, we would most probably never see the thylacine again.
Improved by Intervention- The African Elephant
General Information
The African Elephant, also known by its scientific name Loxodonta africana, is the world’s largest terrestrial animal. The species has been ranked vulnerable by the IUCN red list in 2004, after it was rehabilitated. The African elephant is grey-brown in color, and weighs about 4 tons. They live to about 70 years. It also has large ears for heat loss. The African elephant eats leaves, branches and bushes from trees. It also eats fruits, grasses and bark. The African Elephants live in herds, which are mostly composed of the mother and its calves. In certain cases there may be several families that travel together that form a larger herd that may go up to 70 elephants. African Elephants are active both during the day and the night. Food and water are the most essential factors when determining the habitat of the species. The elephants migrate long distances at times to find a suitable environment for themselves.
BIODIVERSITY
Survival