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Dolphin spotters report possible sighting of ‘functionally extinct’ Chinese river dolphin

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A baiji dolphin was rescued from the Yangtze River in 1980 after being stranded. It was named Qi Qi and transferred to an aquarium in Wuhan, where it died in 2002. Photo: AFP

Animal-protection volunteers believe they may have seen a freshwater dolphin that is one of the most endangered animals in the world on a recent expedition, Anhui Television reports.

Unique to the Yangtze River, the baiji or Chinese river dolphin has been declared functionally extinct, meaning if any individuals remain alive, there numbers would be too few to make the species sustainable.

The expedition team spotted an aquatic animal that looked like a baiji dolphin in the Yangtze River in Wuhu, Anhui province, on Tuesday morning, report said.

A grey-white creature with a long snout was seen leaping from the water three times 200 to 300 metres away from the boat.

The volunteers immediately put a sonar detector in the water in the hope of recording sounds from the animal, but did not have time to photograph the creature.

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