The extinction of the Yangtze River Dolphin or baiji, made famous by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine in Last Chance to See, made headline news around the world - the shocking realization that we had let such a beautiful animal disappear, despite the supposed efforts of big conservation organizations worldwide. Compelling, heartfelt eyewitness account by a young naturalist battling against the failures and bureaucracy of large organizations. Describes the natural history of the dolphin, and the legends surrounding it on the banks of the Yangtze A tale, too, of how massive scale industrialization in China is devastating the environment and its extraordinary wildlife. Turvey played a key role in the final stages to identify whether the baiji was gone, and was the lead author in the research paper that confirmed its extinction Gives examples of successful conservation and looks forward: we can learn from this and save other precious creatures from oblivion - a plea from the heart for action.