Carcass of finless porpoise found in E. China

The carcass of an adult finless porpoise is found alongside the river bank in a village in east China's Jiangxi province on March 16. (Photo/CCTV Network's Weibo account)

The carcass of an adult finless porpoise is found alongside the river bank in a village in east China's Jiangxi province on March 16. (Photo/CCTV Network's Weibo account)

The carcass of an adult finless porpoise was found alongside the river bank in a village in east China's Jiangxi province on March 16, Xinhua reported yesterday.

The female porpoise measured 1.4 meters long and weighed about 35 kilograms. Scientists estimate that the porpoise was about four years old and had probably been pregnant in its lifetime.

There are visible injuries to its mouth and tail, the report said. The animal's carcass has been sent to the relevant authorities for further testing.

The finless porpoise is a cetacean that has been living in the Yangtze River for 25 million years. Due to the impact of human activities, particularly a series of engineering projects over the past few decades, the population of finless porpoises has drastically decreased to less than 1,000.