A volunteer wetland protection program aimed at preserving the endangered finless porpoise was launched on Wednesday in Hefei, the capital city of east China's Anhui Province.

The finless porpoise, with an average lifespan of 20 years, has been listed by the World Conservation Union as an endangered species. [File photo]?

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance jointly initiated the program with domestic environmental authorities. Volunteers participating in the program will collect data in 11 cities along the Yangtze River for the WWF.

The Yangtze River is home to a unique freshwater population of finless porpoises. Only 1,000 of the animals are believed to be living in the wild at the present time.

Hong Xiufeng, chief of the program's team in Hefei and a sophomore at Anhui University, said that the program will help motivate the public to participate in the construction of shelters for the endangered animals.

Foreign volunteers from AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) are also participating in the program.

The finless porpoise, with an average lifespan of 20 years, has been listed by the World Conservation Union as an endangered species.

Chinese and foreign scientists have participated in protection programs for the finless porpoise and the white-flag dolphin since 1986. Six protection zones were previously established along the Yangtze River for the two species; however,the white-flag dolphin has rarely been seen in the wild since 2006.