On September 3, a Yangtze finless porpoise, a Class I protected animal in China, was found dead on the northern shore of Poyang Lake in Yongxiu County, Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province. The cause of death is under investigation. It is reported that several Yangtze finless porpoises have died in Poyang Lake this year.
A video circulating online shows a dead Yangtze finless porpoise lying on a lake beach, with a pool of dark red liquid near its head that appears to be blood, and several dead fish nearby.
The video uploader stated that on September 3rd, campers discovered the dead finless porpoise on the north bank of Poyang Lake in Yongxiu County. Many dead fish carcasses were also found nearby. This is the seventh finless porpoise to die in the Poyang Lake system this year. The uploader also noted that during the dry season in Poyang Lake, the living space for aquatic animals is significantly reduced, causing considerable damage.
On September 5, Mr. Wang, the person who posted the video, told a reporter from Jimu News that the information about the death of the finless porpoise came from an expert from the Jiangxi Academy of Sciences and some campers.
The expert from the Jiangxi Academy of Sciences mentioned by Mr. Wang told the reporter from Jimu News that the dead finless porpoise was discovered by hikers on the evening of September 3. On the morning of the 4th, the hikers took some photos and videos, and the porpoise carcass was subsequently removed by the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Agriculture.
According to authoritative sources from relevant departments in Jiangxi Province, the deceased finless porpoise is a Class I protected wild animal in China. It showed no external injuries and has been frozen. Experts will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. While it cannot yet be confirmed whether the porpoise's death is related to the drought in Poyang Lake, the negative impact of the drought on the porpoise is very evident. Several finless porpoises have indeed died in Poyang Lake this year, due to both natural and unnatural causes. Among the unnatural deaths, stranding is the most common cause. No human-caused deaths have been found.
According to the authoritative source, since the drought occurred in Poyang Lake, the local finless porpoise protection department has taken measures such as issuing sensitive maps of finless porpoise stranding areas to relevant cities and counties, releasing small fish to supplement the finless porpoise's food resources, and increasing publicity and protection efforts among campers and anglers in order to overcome the adverse effects of the drought on the finless porpoise.
Data shows that the 2017 Yangtze finless porpoise ecological scientific survey results indicated that the Yangtze finless porpoise population was approximately 1,012 individuals, of which 457 were in Poyang Lake.
(Image from Douyin user)
