The Yangtze, Asia’s longest river, has long been home to extraordinary creatures—but many are vanishing before our eyes. The Baiji dolphin was declared functionally extinct in 2006, a warning sign that rippled through the scientific community. Today, conservationists in Wuhan are racing to prevent the same fate for the Yangtze finless porpoise, a playful freshwater mammal often called the river’s “barometer of health.” Once numbering more than 2,500, their population plunged to barely 1,000 just a few years ago, driven down by pollution, boat traffic, and destructive fishing practices.
But there’s a glimmer of hope. Since China passed its sweeping Yangtze River Protection Law in 2021—banning fishing for ten years, curbing pollution, and relocating factories—the porpoise population has started to rebound, rising to around 1,300. Scientists are also breeding endangered Chinese sturgeon and reintroducing them into the wild, slowly stitching life back into the river. Their message is clear: saving the Yangtze will require long-term vigilance, from tighter shipping rules to extending the fishing ban. The river is recovering—but its survival depends on us refusing to let the dominoes fall any further. More