Yangtze finless porpoises seen in China's Hubei

This photo taken on May 14, 2026 shows a Yangtze finless porpoise swimming near the lower reaches of the Gezhouba Dam in Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province. The Yangtze finless porpoise is a national first-class protected wild animal and its population status serves as a "barometer" of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River. In recent years, the population of the species here has increased steadily as systematic ecological restoration efforts were implemented. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)