Yang-tse dolphin gone extinct.

[DeepThought]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/14/wdolph14.xml

Too bad they didn't bother to capture a few and start a breeding program before. (as far as I know)

 

[josedesucre]

Yeah, its really sad. But it is still worst when you realize that there are many other species in danger, and not enough is being done to protect them from extinction.

 

[penguinator]

I completely agree Jose!

Its such a shame that all these beautiful creatures pass away (and the ugly ones!) and all they seem to say is "what a shame...." where what we should really be doing is raising more awareness about currently endangered species and doing more to protect them.

 

[MBanks]

You never know though, they may come back from being extint, it has happened in the past, all we can hope is that somewhere they are hiding away from all the humans thinking "thank god we got away from them, hopefully they'll leave us alone now they think we are extinct."

if you know what I mean...

Martin

 

[naiad]

It reflects badly on humanity that we can't look after the natural world. So many animals and plants are endangered and very little is being done about it. What they need is real habitat protection and space to live.

Lucia

 

[sickbugs]

martin, we can only hope that thats the case

 

[land shark]

It reflects badly on humanity that we can't look after the natural world. So many animals and plants are endangered and very little is being done about it. What they need is real habitat protection and space to live.

When are people gonna realize that we may be next! Habitat protection is only a band aid.

 

[efattah]

I also think it is a deep tragedy whenever a species goes extinct.

But, we need to remember one thing.

Species have been evolving and going extinct for millions of years, even without the presence of humans.

What are humans? Humans are a natural species. Humans are a part of nature. If humans destroy the planet, then nature destroyed the planet, because humans were created by nature.

Imagine what the Earth looks like from very far away, without seeing the individual life forms. You look at the planet (millions of years ago). You watch. Life evolved on the planet, and then eventually that same life destroys the planet. The viewer from far away sees a lush world created, then diminish. All part of the natural cycle.

I like the analogy in the matrix. Agent Smith says that humans are like a virus. It is true. A virus will sometimes kill its host. You could tell the virus that it should not destroy the world which keeps it alive. But the virus won't listen and it will kill its host anyway, killing itself in the process. This happens all the time, it is natural, it is a part of nature.

Just like humans destroying their own world.

You could blame nature for all the problems in the world. You could say:
"Nature, you should not have created a life form such as man, because now that life form will destroy you. You should have been smarter. Maybe next time you'll learn."

 

[monofin_diva]

what's really sad is that this particular river dolphin isn't the only one that may be functionally extinct. there are several other species of river dolphin that are hanging by a thread as well.

it's tremendously disheartening to see the way we're overpopulating and destroying the world.

the *virus* analogy was very appropriate.

it won't be long before we become *extinct* at the rate we're going. this just really saddens me because beaked whales and river dolphins are so rare and precious.. i hope the world wakes up and realizes just how lucky we are that all of the elements combined in just the right way to provide us with this very special place called earth that has everything on it we need to live comfortably.

 

[demasoni]

The Earth will be just fine without humans, the planet will definitely be better without us. The planet does not need us in the sense that we are not part of a larger, dependent ecosytem. We are not on the food chain.

Humans obviously have an awareness that others beings don't. We manifest things like hate, judgement, greed, vengeance, intolerance, spite etc. that animals (to my knowledge) lack.

We are completely to blame for our actions, and we should be held responsible when we kill other beings (or let them die). We can choose, unfortunately.

What if you could give those Yangtse dolphins a loaded gun? If that dolphin were a human, it might use that gun and threaten humans - let alone shoot - in order to preserve itself and its kind.

 

[monofin_diva]

The Earth will be just fine without humans, the planet will definitely be better without us. The planet does not need us in the sense that we are not part of a larger, dependent ecosytem. We are not on the food chain.

Humans obviously have an awareness that others beings don't. We manifest things like hate, judgement, greed, vengeance, intolerance, spite etc. that animals (to my knowledge) lack.

We are completely to blame for our actions, and we should be held responsible when we kill other beings (or let them die). We can choose, unfortunately.

What if you could give those Yangtse dolphins a loaded gun? If that dolphin were a human, it might use that gun and threaten humans - let alone shoot - in order to preserve itself and its kind.

if we could give cetaceans guns odds are they wouldn't use them. yes that is me anthropomorphizing however, i don't think they would.

nevermind the fact that there are studies that dolphins and (some) whales show a higher brain to body mass ratio which some feel is an indication of possible higher intelligence than humans.. thank god for our opposable thumbs. if we had to hunt our prey based on stunning it with sound could we?

uh no,we could not.. for some cetaceans their brain to body mass is comparitively larger than ours which is an indication of intelligence.

(which may not be an indication of intelligence depending on some)

either way, it's just sad.. and what is more sad is that i got my degree in marine bio based on beaked whales and river dolphins.

i find their habitat depletion and demise even more deplorable.

i'm really saddened.

truly i am.

i just hope we wake up.. and SOON.

 

[Ricochet]

The really sad thing is, that we could open such a thread every 17 minutes.
These day's rate of extiction is so fast, that it even exceeds the one that whiped out the dinosaurs.

 

[Dewit2it]

Rev 16:3-4 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

That's why I enjoy every minute of my dive time remaining.

 

[Amphibious]

Rev 16:3-4 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

That's why I enjoy every minute of my dive time remaining.

and that's why I'm an athiest

I count myself very lucky to have seen the Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) as they are on the way out too

 

[wet]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061219-mexico-porpoise.html?source=rss
Bye bye Baiji & Vaquita. I would very much like to have dived with you!!

World's Smallest Porpoise Nearly Extinct, Experts Say
Scott Norris for National Geographic News
December 19, 2006

The recently declared extinction of the Chinese river dolphin has focused attention on the plight of another imperiled marine mammal—the world's smallest porpoise.
Found only in waters off Mexico, the vaquita may now be the most endangered of any whale or dolphin species, due to the animal's frequent and fatal entanglements in fishing nets, experts say.

 

[wet]

Mexican porpoise vs gill nets

Mexico considers recasting a way of life to save endangered porpoise - International Herald Tribune

 

[wet]

Re: Irrawady dolphin vs gill nets

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070307/sc_nm/cambodia_environment_dolphins_dc_1

 

[wet]

Brazilian dolphins netted & killed

Brazil fishermen caught killing dolphins - Yahoo! News

 

[naiad]

More bad news...
The Red-tailed Black Shark (not a shark but a member of the carp family, Epalzeorhynchos/Labeo bicolor) is probably extinct in the wild. It is a common aquarium fish, but very difficult to breed.
Red-tailed black shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The related Bala Shark is endangered. Again, a common aquarium fish but very difficult to breed.
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balantiocheilus_melanopterus]Bala shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Many other familiar names on the huge endangered list.
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endangered_animal_species]List of endangered animal species - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[wet]

Walruses killed for tusks and left to rot
Headless walruses alarm Alaska officials - Yahoo! News