China to set up reserve for rare white dolphin

Date : 10/04/2006

China is to build its first reserve for endangered white dolphins.

China is to build its first reserve for endangered white dolphins off its southern coast near the city of Zhuhai, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday.

In this picture shows a Chinese white dolphin jumps out of the water off of Hong Kong, Sept. 15, 2000. Scientists have begun a two-year study of Chinese white dolphins that involves shooting the rare mammals with a crossbow and darts that retrieve tiny Yu, )

Construction is slated to begin by the end of the year on the reserve, which will be about 460 square kilometers (177.61 sq. miles), near Qi'ao island, Xinhua quoted Chen Jialin, the director of the Chinese White Dolphin Natural Reserve, as saying.

An emergency rescue center will also be built as part of the reserve, Xinhua said.

Chinese white dolphins are unique to China and high on the endangered species list. Only about 2,000 remain in China and more than half live in the Pearl River estuary, Xinhua quoted Chen as saying.

Their natural habitat has been steadily destroyed by pollutants discharged into the water by paper mills, chemical plants and plating factories, resulting in the deaths of 19 dolphins over the past three years, Chen said.

Source: Planetsave.com

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