New findings by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Bangladesh Ministry of Environment and Forests indicates that biologists could be able to breathe a sigh of relief over the imperiled position of the Irrawaddy dolphin. The species, which lives primarily in sheltered bays in the Asia-Pacific region, was long feared by scientists to be a leading candidate for extinction, so much so it was placed on the IUCN Red List in 2008.

Working in Bangladesh’s Sunbardans mangroves, scientists counted a robust population estimated at 6000 Irrawaddy dolphins living throughout the region and neighboring Bay of Bengal. This is a sharp uptick from the previous assessment, which counted numbers barely in the hundreds. Lead researcher Brian D. Smith was effusive:

This discovery gives us great hope that there is a future for Irrawaddy dolphins. Bangladesh clearly serves as an important sanctuary for Irrawaddy dolphins, and conservation in this region should be a top priority.

Nevertheless, the scientists’ findings suggest a habitat that is growing increasingly hostile towards its aquatic inhabitants. Fishing pressure, lack of freshwater due to growing populations and rising sea levels, and growing human influence all conspire to make life for the Irrawaddy dolphin a sometimes difficult search for food and habitat.

Image: Irrawaddy dolphins