PLANETVIEWS

Read Excerpts from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 7, 1986
Rescuers: Development could doom pink dolphins.

An effort was initiated to rescue freshwater pink dolphins from man-made dangers deep in the world’s largest rain forest. Dolphins that normally swim freely along the Amazon River and its tributaries have been trapped behind new dams in Brazil in the July-November dry season when the water levels drop.

The dams were built to create reservoirs for government-financed soybean and rice plantations […]

“The dolphins are the one of the most fascinating creatures on the face of the earth, and they are almost unknown. They serve as a symbol of the Amazon River system, one of the most important ecological systems on the planet,” said Michael Bailey.

In preparation for his trip to Brazil, Bailey stopped at the Pittsburgh Zoo to observe Chuckles, the only freshwater dolphin in captivity in this country.

By studying the zoo´s playful mascot, Bailey said he hoped to learn how to transport, feed and care for river dolphins.

The true challenge is for human beings to learn to coexist with animals before they become extinct,” Bailey said. “That´s the race that we are in at this time.”