Baiji (SciiFii)

The baiji (Chinese: 白鱀豚; pinyin: báijìtún, Lipotes vexillifer, Lipotes meaning "left behind", vexillifer "flag bearer"), also known as the Chinese river dolphin, Yangtze river dolphin, Yangtze dolphin and whitefin dolphin, is a species of freshwater dolphin that is native to the freshwater lakes and rivers of China, hence its name, and was once the first dolphin species driven to extinction due to the impact of humans, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to the rivers and lakes across China to help boost biodiversity. Since Baiji means 'white fin' in Chinese, it means 'white-finned dolphin'. Nicknamed the "Goddess of the Yangtze" (simplified Chinese: 长江女神; traditional Chinese: 長江女神; pinyin: Cháng Jiāng nǚshén), it is regarded as the goddess of protection by local fishermen and boatmen. It is not to be confused with the Chinese white dolphin or the finless porpoise. Baijis have a fusiform body with a small head, tiny eyes, prominent melon and a long, narrow beak that is slightly up-curved at the tip. The dorsal fin of the baiji is low and triangular and the flippers are broad and rounded. The dorsal portion of the body is gray with whitish streaks from the ventral area extending into the face and head region. The baijis are relatively small dolphins, with males reaching lengths of about 7 feet 6 inches (2.2 meters) long and weighing around 130 kg (290 lbs) while females are slightly larger, growing to be about 8 feet 4 inches (2.5 meters) long and weigh around 170 kg (370 lbs) on average. Like most dolphins, baijis only feed on small fish such as minnows and among other small fish. Although the baiji is native to Asia, there are thriving breeding populations of baijis in the nonnative range in the Mississippi rivers in the United States, possibly a result of bankrupt aquarium parks dumping the baijis into the new environment after being unable to keep them for any longer. The conservation status of the baiji in its native range is currently Vulnerable due to historic pollution and overfishing, however, thanks to the conservationists, the baijis are making a comeback. In the Mississippi rivers, the baijis are flourishing due to the abundance of food sources and having a much wider range due to much less pollution and competition from humans.