One of the last known baiji, photographed in captivity before its death in 2002. Institute of Hydrobiology, Wuhan, China.The Baiji is a graceful animal, with a long, narrow and slightly upturned beak and a flexible neck. As opposed to some other freshwater dolphins, like the Indus River dolphin, its eyes are functional, although greatly reduced. Its coloration is bluish-gray to gray above and white to ashy-white below. It weighs 135 - 230 kg (300 - 510 lb) and measures as much as 2.5 m (8.2') in length.
The Baiji population declined drastically in recent decades as China industrialized and made heavy use of the river for fishing, transportation, and hydroelectricity. The last confirmed sighting of a Baiji was in 2004, with an (as yet) unconfirmed sighting in August 2007.
Status-functionally extinct
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