WUHAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- A female finless porpoise gave birth to a baby in a net cage in central China's Hubei Province, authorities said Tuesday.

It is the first finless porpoise, a dolphin-like freshwater mammal with an iconic "grin" on its face, born in a net cage.

The mother, named "E E," gave birth on Sunday at the Tian'e zhou National Nature Reserve in Shishou City. The baby porpoise, whose sex is yet to be determined, is in good condition.

Only around 1,000 finless porpoises live in the Yangtze River and two lakes linked to the busy waterway.

The government has been trying to increase the finless porpoise population by breeding in reserves. Tian'ezhou National Nature Reserve has seen its finless porpoise population grow from 22 to around 60 with four to five newborns each year since 2010.