Brazil's Amazon pink river dolphins are being hunted to extinction, even though laws on the books ban their killing. It's time for the government to start enforcing these laws before it's too late.
The pink river dolphins in the Amazon River are beautiful gentle creatures that draw tourists to the jungle every year to see and swim with them. Sadly, these poor creatures are being hunted to extinction, and Brazil's government isn't doing enough to save them.
Pink dolphins are a common bait for fisherman in the lucrative catfish trade and also believed by some to increase sexual virility if consumed. This demand leads to the killing of up to 1,500 dolphins each year, putting the survival of the species at risk.
Killing dolphins is already illegal in Brazil and carries an 18-month prison sentence, but authorities do little to actually enforce the law.