Yangtze river dolphin

Today woke up to the news that the Yangtze river dolphin may be extinct. Although not declared officially, a team of researchers had failed to find any sign this mammal in a survey that span about six weeks around its habitat. Back in the late 1990s a similar survey found thirteen live dolphins. In the 1950s their population numbered in the thousands. The last sighting was five years ago, and conservationists said that after such an intensive effort, they can be quite sure that the baiji may be gone for good.

From the BBC website
"The team, writing in Biology Letters journal, blamed unregulated fishing as the main reason behind their demise.

If confirmed, it would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate for over 50 years.

The species (Lipotes vexillifer) was the only remaining member of the Lipotidae, an ancient mammal family that is understood to have separated from other marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, about 40-20 million years ago.

The white, freshwater dolphin had a long, narrow beak and low dorsal fin; lived in groups of three or four and fed on fish. "

I had not seen a Yangtze river dolphin before, considering its rarity, and feel no personal remorse or sadness at such a loss. However, what infuriates me is the fact the news is not even reported in China, despite making headline on the BBC. In pursuit of economic success and the jubilant celebration on the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympics, people had not even realised that something is gone forever from this planet, or the universe, right beside them.

The impact cannot be felt immediately. It's not like losing your entire savings overnight or losing your loved ones. There is no economic, political or social loss. I heard an anology somewhere. The eco-system is like a house, and the specices are the building blocks. If you pull out one block of brick once in a while you would not feel any difference. Until you reach the critical point when the entire building collapses, it would be too late already.