Among all the river dolphins, the pink dolphin is positioned as the most intelligent. Also known as boto, bufeo, tonina or Amazon dolphin, this cetacean has a great capacity for exploration and is extremely curious by nature. But this last quality has led it to suffer significant losses for its population and now the pink dolphin is in danger of extinction.
Of all the river species, perhaps the most popular is this species whose scientific name is Inia geoffrensis. Its pink color makes it a very mysterious animal surrounded by legends among the inhabitants of the region. According to their beliefs, the Boto is a magical creature capable of taking human form that emerges from the river to seduce men and women, and lead them to its enchanted city under the waters.
The reasons why this species of cetacean differs from its relatives in color is still unknown. It could be an adaptation to living in the waters of the rivers, the temperature or it is just the passage of time. Pink dolphins at their earliest ages usually have a grayish color like all their relatives, however, with age and the appearance of scars, their skin tends to turn pink.
Why is the pink dolphin becoming extinct?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had previously listed the pink dolphin as a threatened species. But it was recently classified as endangered, meaning its population is declining alarmingly. In fact, the pink dolphin is the most endangered species of all cetaceans in the world.
The pink dolphin is the river dolphin among the four species that exist, which extends across more geographical areas. It lives in the basin, the upper basin of the Madeira River and the Orinoco basin. It is threatened due to the incessant destruction of the Amazon, as well as fishing and logging.
In addition, among the reasons why the pink dolphin is in danger of extinction are also its extremely sociable and curious personality, it tends to approach fishing boats and often suffer injuries from the engine propellers. They are also fished to use their meat as bait, which is why their population has suffered a significant decrease.
In addition to all this, the noise produced by fishing boat engines, machines and noise pollution in general interferes with the dolphins’ navigation systems. The problem is so serious that it can even cause death.