River dolphins

River dolphins are amongst the most endangered mammals in the world. They are found in South America and Asia where large and increasing human populations are leading to dramatic deteriorations in the river ecosystems where they live.

The only whale or dolphin species in recent years to have gone extinct is the baiji or Yangzte river dolphin. The other surviving species include the Amazon river dolphin, Ganges river dolphin and Indus river dolphin, as well as the Franciscana dolphin and Irrawaddy dolphin.

WDCS has funded river dolphin conservation projects in many developing countries where the dolphins live and continues to support ground-breaking initiatives to help the animals, the wider ecosystem and local communities that live alongside the animals. In 2010, WDCS supported the publication of the South American River Dolphin Action Plan (10.5mb) which looks at the conservation requirements for these animals over the next ten years.