Baiji Dolphin Previously Thought Extinct Spotted In The Yangtze River Date: September 1, 2007 Source: World Wildlife Fund Summary: The reported sighting of a Yangtze River dolphin, or Baiji… The extinction of the baiji also marks the extinction of the entire ancient Lipotidae family the baiji represented. By Brian Gruters. They show the Baiji dolphin - a species once thought of as river goddess by local fishermen but now thought to be extinct in the wild. On Wednesday, in the city of Wuhan in central China, a search expedition, under the direction of … ozmanjusri writes "Major news outlets are reporting that after 20 million years, Baiji (Yangtze River Dolphin) are now officially extinct.This is apparently actually old news; it was announced on a Baiji conservation website in December of last year. Endangered Species Act and a critically endangered species on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, the animal has not been able to bounce back from extinction. If the baiji was the lion of the Yangtze, think of the finless porpoise as the hyena. Not everyone is as confident about the alleged sighting. A few baiji may still exist in their native Yangtze habitat in eastern China but not in sufficient numbers to breed and ward off extinction, said August Pfluger, the Swiss co-leader of … It’s not closely related to the baiji, but has managed to survive in the same narrow ecosystem. Biologist Samuel Turvey, who has written a book about the baiji’s extinction, told the Guardian he was sceptical. Compared to its chipper, bottlenose cousins, the baiji, or Yangtze River dolphin, was not one to pose for the camera.Its recent notoriety is due to its distinction as either the most endangered cetacean in the world, or the first large mammal to become extinct in more than 50 years. The Yangtze River dolphin (also called the baiji) is believed to be extinct. The number of baiji dolphins quickly decreased and it is said to be the first dolphin species to become extinct. They show the … The Baiji Yangtze Dolphin is with all probability extinct. Despite the baiji's listing as a Protected Animal of the First Order by the Chinese government in 1975, an endangered species under the U.S. This is because the baiji has unique features which are not shared with any other whale or dolphin species. Part of the baiji’s skeleton and stomach anatomy are unique (the stomach is divided into three compartments).