'The Independent' (UK newspaper), 8th Aug 2007

EXTINCT

"...the Yangtze river dolphin which today is declared extinct. It is the first large mammal to be wiped from the planet for 50 years, and only the fourth entire mammal family (sic) to disappear in 500 years. And it was driven to its death by mankind ..."

" After more than 20 million years on the planet, the Yangtse river dolphin is today officially declared extinct, the first species of cetacean (whale, dolphin or porpoise) to be driven from this planet by human activity.
An intensive six-week search by an international team of marine biologists involving two boats that ploughed up and down the world's busiest river last December failed to find a single specimen."

"The Yangtse fresh-water dolphin was a remarkable creature that separated from all other species so many millions of years ago, and had become so distinct, that it qualified as a mammal family in its own right."

Apparently, the last captive specimen died in 2002.