Hong Kong’s exquisite pink dolphins, first observed over 400 years ago, may soon be extinct.
The Chinese white dolphin, one of just two pink dolphin species in the world, was originally an emblem of Hong Kong. However, a proposed third runway at Chek Lap Kok Airport threatens to permanently remove these amazing species from the city’s However, a proposed third runway Chek Lap Kok Airport threatens to permanently remove these amazing species from the city’s wat
Like the similarly pink Amazon river dolphin, Hong Kong’s dolphins get their unusual coloration thanks to blood vessels brought to the surface by the region’s warm tropical waters, which redden their usually white skin.
Since 2003, the number of dolphins around Hong Kong has dropped by more than half, dwindling from 158 animals to around 60 today, The Guardian reports. Overfishing, boat traffic and pollution have all contributed to the decline, says Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society chairman Samuel Hung, but the new runway might be the final blow.
“It seems like we’re forcing them more and closer to the cliff’s edge, and if we make that final push, they’ll be gone forever,” Hung told The Guardian. “I believe it is past time for us to get our act together.”
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Hong Kong’s dolphins have lost nearly 5,000 acres of habitat over the past 20 years. The organization says construction of the new runway would heavily impact another 4,000 acres.
“We have been following some of them for nearly 20 years so those are our old friends,” said Hung. “They don’t realise that there is more disaster waiting for them.”
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