Customer Reviews

Witness to Extinction: How We Failed to Save the Yangtze River Dolphin

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Knowing the outcome of this sad story before you read it makes it hard to bear at times, but it is necessary to understand what conservation entails and how easily it seems to get lead astray. This in a very informative book- not only for our sad loss of this particular species but for conservation of endangered species in general. It made me appreciate just how much it takes to persuade people and organizations to do what I always thought they were meant to do. For example large conservation organizations rejecting the Yangtze River Dolphin's applications for funding because it was too risky, in other words it was already critically endangered. This amazed me, I always assumed that critically endangered animals were conservation organization's top priority. The author, who was involved in the last attempts to save the dolphin and most recent baiji survey, is extremely honest and straight forward. This book outlines many details that are important to the survival of endangered animals and ultimately the survival of our planet. Read this book, not for a fun read, but to enlighten and educate yourself. You will be glad you did.

"The baiji is gone, and with it we have lost 20 million years of unique evolution, an entire mammal family, the top predator of the Yangzte ecosystem, the reincarnation of a drowned princess - and one the most enigmatic and beautiful creatures on earth."

Samuel Turvey's detailed account of the entire history of the Baiji, up to untimely extinction (probably in 2006), is a lively, well-written account - an engaging piece of nature and travel writing - but, more importantly, a good summation of all that can go wrong when proper and timely efforts are not made to conserve a critically endangered species. With the historical lack of understanding of conservation in China (and the pressure of development), the mistakes made there are tragic, if understandable.

However, Turvey makes clear that what was needed was repeated time and again by scientists and conservationists at workshops and conferences and in journal papers, official reports and the popular press, but this information was never put into practice. Turvey puts the reader right on the spot at each step of the way, revealing many of the personalities and the dying environment in which the Baiji lived. The relentless threats (including dams, long-line fishing and pollution), political difficulties between countries and even research centres, human-wildlife conflicts, lack of understanding (including mistreatment of captured specimens and failure to attempt a breeding programme) are recounted in Turvey's lively observational style.

Perhaps the image that remains longest is of Qi Qi, a Baiji resident at the Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan for 22 years - "footage of Qi Qi swimming round and round his concrete pool played to the soundtrack of a Chinese rendition of 'Que Sera Sera'. It was too unintentionally and horribly poignant for words."

This is an extremely well written book that tells the sad story of a species becoming extinct. Very easy to read. Important work.