Amazon Hunters are Working with Scientists to Save Rare Pink River Dolphins

Fishermen who used to target endangered pink river dolphins are now collaborating with scientists in Bolivia's Amazon rainforest to secure the species' survival.

The Amazon river dolphin, also known as the pink river dolphin or boto, is a freshwater dolphin that only lives in rivers. Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela may be found in large parts of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.

It is a common freshwater cetacean with a population estimated to be in the tens of thousands. However, dams that split and endanger particular communities and other concerns such as pollution of rivers and lakes make it at risk in some places.

Many Amazon animals rely on the forests and ecosystems around the Amazon River to survive and develop. Unfortunately, deforestation, climate change, illegal hunting, and environmental contamination are all ongoing threats to their lives and habitats.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), based in Gland, Switzerland, is the world's oldest and largest global environmental network, bringing together governments, non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, businesses, and local communities to conduct scientific research, develop policy, and manage field projects that help to protect and conserve wildlife.

The IUCN produces the IUCN Red List every year, which identifies threatened, vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered species all around the globe. Over 2,600 creatures are listed on the May 2013 Red List in South America, with 118 of them found in Peru. In addition, the Amazon Rainforest is home to several endangered species, including the Giant Otter, South American Tapir, and Red-Faced Uakari Monkey.

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