Feared Extinct, Dolphin Resurfaces

A member of a dolphin species so rare that it was reported possibly extinct may have been spotted in the Yangtze River. The baiji, or white flag dolphin, was declared extinct last December, but earlier this month a man shot a video showing what appears to be a baiji frolicking in the river. Hopeful scientists plan to search the area.

The videographer told the state-run news agency he "never saw such a big thing in the water before." A naturalist called the sighting "incredibly fantastic news," the AP reports, but scientists caution that the animal is still almost definitely functionally extinct in the wild. They hope to capture a pair that could be bred in captivity. (More baiji stories.)