Date: Sat, 09 Aug, 1997
Chinese River Dolphin on Exhibition

BEIJING, XINHUA - The Chinese river dolphin, an endangered rare species, is on exhibition which opened Friday in Beijing Natural History Museum.

According to today's China Daily, the exhibition offers visitors through samples, photos, articles and lectures information about the dolphin, knowns as baiji, which is considered one of the rarest and most endangered species in the world.

Once numbering in the thousands, there may now be less than 50 baiji in the world, all living in the Yangtze River.

Considered the "living fossil," baiji is believed to have lived in the world for more than 25 million years, much older than another precious and endangered animal -- the giant panda.

Owing to rapid development of the Yangtze, the water pollution and overfishing, the rare animal's living environment and food sources are threatened.

In order to heighten public awareness and protect the creature, the China Wildlife Protection Association and Green Earth Volunteers, with four other wildlife and environmental protection groups, began "Save Endangered Wild Animals" in June and suggested designating 1997 "The Year of Baiji."

In a campaign to protect baiji, Chinese scientists will search for the dolphin, which measures 2-2.5 meters long and weighs about 150 kilograms,, trying to catch at least 20 of them, moving them to semi-natural protection areas.



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