World leaders have been throwing around bailout plans for the global economic crisis.

No bailout plan is on offer, though, for the world's mammal crisis.

A major annual survey of global wildlife warned that at least 1,141 of the 5,487 known species of mammals are threatened, with 188 listed in the highest risk "critically endangered" category.

Among them is our Yangtze River dolphin.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) involved 1,700 experts in 130 countries for its "red list" assessment. The report confirmed the devastating impacts of forest clearing, hunting, fisheries, pollution and climate change on the population and ranges of the world's most studied category of animals.

While countries are held responsible for the fate of fauna within their borders, they need to build an international coalition to save species that stride or swim across national boundaries.

The reality is that there is no long-term conservation strategy to prevent the extinction of endangered species in the future.

Even worse, as human beings, we cause other species to go extinct.

"We have become deadened to this sort of depressing information and now simply ignore it without stopping to think about the implications." The conclusion of Mark Wright, chief scientist at the World Wildlife Fund, is harsh but true.

We are getting far too used to seeing the reports bemoaning the fate of the planet or the decline of animals. And we are becoming far too insensitive to this.

The Chinese river dolphin is found only in the country's Yangtze River. It can thrive only in freshwater. It is an opportunistic feeder and eats a large variety of freshwater fish species.

Causes of its decline include destruction of habitat, overfishing, pollution, and accidents during heavy river traffic.

The species is legally protected in the country. But conservation efforts have not succeeded in removing the Yangtze River dolphin from the critically endangered category.

A six-week scientific survey in the summer of 2007 concluded that the species may now be extinct. Which is, of course, not officially confirmed.

The reducing number of mammals is a global issue. Human activities combined to a greater or lesser degree with climate change to lead to extinctions.

The data the IUCN has made public should encourage countries to show political and public will to strengthen conservation of such species.

Of course, money is needed to implement a conservation strategy, but proper decisions should be made about where and how the money is spent.

(China Daily October 9, 2008)