Endangered pink river dolphins face a rising mercury threat in the Amazon

Scientists from Amazon Colombia capture and test the dolphins of the pink river threatened to monitor the contamination of the mercury of illegal gold extraction and deforestation. The laborious operation, carried out only sometimes a year, involves health checks, ultrasounds and sampling of diseases and toxins. Mercury levels in dolphins have been found far above the safe limits, reflecting the risks for fauna and people. The populations have decreased sharply, and the researchers say that the protection of dolphins is inseparable from the protection of rivers and ecosystems of the Amazon.