Qianjiang, Hubei Province photographed the finless porpoise jumping out of the water for the first time in 30 years.

　　The Yangtze finless porpoise is a national first-class protected animal, known as the "giant panda in water", and its rising mouth and gentle personality have also earned it the reputation of "smiling angel". On June 21, in Qianjiang, Hubei, some citizens found finless porpoises in Qianjiang section of Hanjiang River.

　　It is understood that this is the first discovery of finless porpoises in Qianjiang in the past 30 years. The investigation by the local agricultural department found that there was a barrage near the place where the finless porpoise appeared, which made the river water form a backflow zone. The Qianjiang section of the Han River is in a period of total ban on fishing. The backflow zone is a harbor where fish and shrimp live. The finless porpoise may swim to the vicinity of the backflow zone because of chasing small fish. It is understood that since December 31, 2020, the whole tributary of the Yangtze River was completely banned from fishing, the Qianjiang Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has rectified the illegal fishing of the entire Hanjiang section. In the future, the ecological environment and aquatic resources of the Han River will be protected, and inspections will be intensified to create a better living environment for finless porpoises.

　　In 2017, a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture showed that there were 1012 Yangtze finless porpoises. Experts said that the return of the finless porpoise as an endangered species to the Han River also reflected the improvement of the ecological environment brought about by the ban on fishing in the Han River. At present, local staff have been arranged to strengthen the monitoring and protection of finless porpoises. (CCTV reporter Zhang Wen)