World's first artificially bred Yangtze finless porpoise turns 21

(ECNS) -- "Taotao," the world's first Yangtze finless porpoise to be naturally bred and raised in human care, celebrated its 21st birthday on Sunday.

To mark the occasion, three generations of researchers from the species' conservation program gathered at the Baiji Dolphinarium in Wuhan，Hubei Province.

The Yangtze finless porpoise is a Class I nationally protected wild animal in China. After years of conservation efforts, its population had recovered to 1,426 individuals by 2025.

Born on July 5, 2005, at the Baiji Dolphinarium, Taotao has fathered three sons and one daughter. His eldest son, "Hanbao" (six years old), and daughter, "Xiaojiujiu" (four years old), have both reached sexual maturity, while his youngest son, "Xiao 26," was born on May 22 this year.

According to Hao Yujiang, director of the Yangtze Finless Porpoise Breeding and Conservation Center at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the species typically lives 20 to 25 years.

Although Taotao is now advanced in age, with a slightly reduced appetite and feeding speed, he remains in generally good health.

"Taotao represents a complete life cycle sample—from birth and sexual maturity to reproduction and aging—and his research data provide vital support for protecting wild populations," Hao said.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of China's captive breeding program for the Yangtze finless porpoise.

Over the decades, the Institute of Hydrobiology has developed a mature system for captive management, care, and breeding, and has established a sperm bank containing more than 200 samples.