Reproduction of a river dolphins

Reproduction

The time of year for mating can vary based on the location of the River Dolphin. The females usually are ready to mate around 8 years of age and for the males it is about 10 years old. The males may heavily compete with each other for mating. The young will be born from 10 to 12 months later, tail first.

The pod is very protective and they will help the mother during the birthing process. They will protect the young calf and help it to the surface for air. They will also help keep predators away. The young will grow rapidly due to the fat content found in the milk that the mother produces. They will drink the milk for 1 ½ to 2 years, but they will also start to consume fish when they are about 6 months old.

Conservation Status and Threats

The River Dolphin is considered to be in a range from vulnerable to critically endangered. It is hard to get a good idea of the number of them due to the different species and their habitat. There are plenty of issues for the River Dolphin to worry about in their natural habitat. They may be caught up in fishing nets or collide with boats. Heavily pollution has played a vital role in the reduction of numbers of them in many locations.

Some of the conservation efforts involve fishing with better equipment and tools. However, since the rivers where plenty of the dolphins live are around very poor cultures that can be tough to improve. Overfishing is also a concern as the villagers heavily depend on the food for survival. Yet that can leave a lack of food for the dolphins to survive. Pollution problems are also higher in areas where they don’t have proper water and sewer systems in place.

One of the River Dolphins called the Baiji, has declared functionally extinct in December of 2006. The last time one of them was seen in the wild was in 2004. While there were some reports in 2007 of sightings of one in the Yangtze River, it couldn’t be confirmed.

(source:google/http://www.dolphins-world.com/)