Final farewell to the Yangzte river dolphin or baiji, a mysterious yet majestic creature we may never again see alive.
An extensive survey in December 2006 failed to find even one surviving animal. Then on 19 August, a video shot by a Chinese man showed a white dolphin-like streak that briefly broke the surface of the muddy waters.
Sadly, even if it was a baiji, this single and still disputed sighting means only that its demise is more protracted than we thought. Even if a pair for breeding were miraculously found, past attempts to establish a captive population all failed.…
