Chinese lawmaker Zhu Zuoyan has called for assistance from the military to catch several white- flag dolphins from the Yangtze River to save the endangered species from extinction.

Zhu, a zoologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said to catch the rare animal scientists need the help of the Navy and the Air Force of the country's armed forces, including naval vessel and helicopter.

He said the white-flag dolphin is even more precious than the giant panda in terms of number, and urgent efforts are needed to protect it from getting extinct before it is too late.

He believed there are less than 100 of the animals living in the Yangtze River, compared with 1,000 giant pandas in the wild in China. Both of the animals are native to China.

The white-flage dolphin, one of the four fresh water dolphins on the Earth and peculiar to China, is regarded as a living fossil.

Pollution of the Yangtze River and intrusion of ships into their living environment are blamed for the dwindling number of the animals.

( People's Daily March 12, 2002)