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On China's Yangtze River, the "smiling angel" is making a return. Captured by nearby residents, these rare sightings show finless porpoises playing in increasingly cleaner waters. Once in sharp decline, their population fell from around 3,600 in the 1990s to just over 1,000 in 2012. But change is now underway. A 10-year fishing ban and strengthened conservation measures are helping the population recover, rising to 1,426 in the latest survey. From rare encounters to shared moments, the Yangtze is healing, and its "smile" is being seen once again.

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'Smiling angels' return to China's Yangtze River as finless porpoises rebound