World's first artificially-bred Yangtze finless porpoise welcomes its 18th birthday

Tao Tao, the world's first Yangtze finless porpoise successfully bred in artificial environment, welcomed its 18th birthday on Wednesday.

The male Yangtze finless porpoise was born on July 5, 2005 in Baiji Aquarium of Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan City, central China's Hubei Province.

According to experts, the average lifespan of the Yangtze finless porpoise is about 22 years old. At present, 18-year-old Tao Tao is similar to a middle-aged to elderly human, and is in good health.

Tao Tao has participated in the artificial breeding programs multiple times in the aquarium. Now, it is the father of one male and one female Yangtze finless porpoise, namely, "Han Bao" and "Jiu Jiu." They are the second generation of Yangtze finless porpoises to be successfully bred and brought up in a full artificial environment.

The Yangtze finless porpoise is under first-class state protection in China. They only pulse through the waters in the central and eastern parts of the Yangtze including two lakes naturally connected to the 6,300-km river, Dongting and Poyang, according to conservationists. A scientific investigation conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2022 showed that the number of Yangtze finless porpoises has reached 1,249.