A species of dolphin that had been identified as one of the world's most endangered species has now been declared officially extinct - and the blame is being placed squarely with humans.
Just over a year ago, Zoologists made a last ditch attempt to save the Yangtze river dolphin (or 'Baiji', which was native to the Yangtze River in China. But these efforts had come too late for the freshwater dolphins, which numbered just 6,000 animals sixty years ago. But instead of taking steps to ensure their survival, humans continued to hunt the dolphins for its flesh and skin. Other factors leading to the species' decline include mass shipping in the dolphins' natural habitat, and the use of wider fishing nets that finally proved lethal.
Conservationists have described the extinction as a "shocking tragedy, caused not by active persecution but accidentally and carelessly through a combination of factors including unsustainable fishing and mass shipping. The Yangtze dolphin is thought to be the first aquatic mamal species to become extinct since the 1950s.
If you want to help prevent further extinctions of sea creatures, the WDCS website has information on what you can do.
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