Thursday, April 02, 2009

6,000 Irrawaddy Dolphins Discovered in Bangladesh

A couple of years ago I blogged about the low numbers of Irrawaddy dolphins found at locations around the region, 77 in the Malampaya Sound, 70 in the Mahakam River, less than 50 in Songkla Lake, etc. Depressing reading. Well, now for some good news. Researchers at WCS have ‘found’ 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins living in the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. Previously it was believed that the population was around 450. The new population estimate is based on the results of recent surveys and research in the mangrove regions of the Sundarbans and nearby waters in the Bay of Bengal.

UK Guardian reports on it here. Instead of the usual doom and gloom environmental news it’s nice to read some happy news and some encouraging quotes and positive vibes from the conservationists involved. Mind you I had to laugh at one quote from the director of science for the WDCS - “to find 6,000 isn’t huge – but it’s significant”. Come on, finding 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins is a huge deal.

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