Animal campaigners have been given a boost in their efforts to save Hong Kong's pink dolphin population with the surprise arrival of a baby dolphin.
Ling Ling, a dolphin more than 15 years old, has been spotted swimming with a calf in a marine park in northern Lantau. The sighting came as a surprise to Lindsay Porter, a conservation officer with the World Wide Fund for Nature, because this period is earlier than the usual time of birth for dolphins.
'Normally, dolphins are born when the water is a little bit warmer,' said Ms Porter. 'If they're born early, they've got to eat more and work harder because the water is colder.'
Ling Ling and her calf are part of a population of about 160 Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong, according to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Most of these pink-coloured mammals live in the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, which restricts fishing and limits the speed of vessels in the area.
This group is part of a larger population of about 1,000 white dolphins in the Pearl River.
The newborn is believed to be Ling Ling's first calf, Ms Porter said. For years, Ling Ling has been the babysitter for other females, looking after their calves while they hunt for food.
