Finless porpoises swim near a bridge in southern Dongting Lake in Yuanjiang city, central China\’s Hunan Province. (Photo/Long Lang)
On March 2, volunteers and fishery department staff discovered six finless porpoises swimming near a bridge in southern Dongting Lake in Yuanjiang city, central China\’s Hunan Province.
The finless porpoise, known as the \”giant panda of the water,\” is under first-class state protection in China.
Liao Fuchu, a researcher at the Hunan Fisheries Science Institute, said that previously, the finless porpoises in Dongting Lake were mainly found in the eastern part of the lake.
In recent years, thanks to effective measures such as the ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River and management of Dongting Lake, the ecological environment has significantly improved. This has created favorable conditions for the expansion of the finless porpoises\’ habitat.