Saving the Yangtze’s ‘Smiling Angels’

Meet the Yangtze finless porpoise —a rare aquatic gem often called the ‘panda in the water’ for its endangered status. With fewer than 1,000 left, this playful creature faces extinction, but a trio of conservation heroes is rewriting its fate.

The Guardians of the River

Wang Ding, Hao Yujiang, and Ding Zeliang have spent three decades battling pollution, overfishing, and habitat loss to protect these ‘smiling angels.’ Their journey, captured in a new documentary, reveals how they pioneered the world’s only successful ex situ conservation program for freshwater cetaceans—think of it as a Noah’s Ark for porpoises!

Why This Matters

Once thriving in the Yangtze River, the porpoise’s decline mirrors the river’s health. China’s conservation push, including fishing bans and eco-friendly policies, offers hope. The film highlights breakthroughs like artificial breeding and protected reserves, proving that human effort can turn the tide.

For young eco-warriors and documentary buffs, this story isn’t just about saving a species—it’s a blueprint for global biodiversity battles. After all, if we can save the ‘water pandas,’ what’s next?

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Smiling angels of the Yangtze

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