Endangered Yangtze finless porpoises were spotted in the Duchang section of Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province on February 7.

The Yangtze finless porpoise, also known as the "giant panda of the water" due to its rarity, is an important indicator of the ecological state of the Yangtze River. It is mainly distributed in parts of the Yangtze and in Dongting and Poyang lakes. There are only about 1,000 finless porpoises living in the wild. It is rare to see the animal on the lake surface as it lives in deep water.

With a 10-year fishing ban imposed in the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake basins, finless porpoises have been spotted frequently in the beautiful Poyang Lake last year, which represents a significant improvement of the area's watershed environment.

On February 5, the Yangtze finless porpoise became a first-class protected species after its protection status in China was upgraded.

(Cover image via CFP)

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