So many animals are threatened in our world now that it almost comes as no surprise to hear about another one. But every now and then we get a nice surprise from nature that gives us hope for the future. Recently it was announced by the Wildlife Conservation Society that the very endangered and rare Irrawaddy dolphins were found in large numbers in Bangladesh. Previously it was thought that there were only around 100 or so left in the world.

Almost 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins were found living in the freshwater regions of Bangladesh's Sundarbans mangrove forest and the adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal, as was announced by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society. These dolphins are related to the orcas or killer whales. Although it was not released as to when exactly the study was done that found these dolphins, it is known that it was initially launched in 2004.

Bangladesh is obviously an important sanctuary for the Irrawaddy dolphins and there is plenty of food, mainly fish, in the area for the dolphins to eat. Ainun Nishat, the Bangladesh head of International Union for Conservation of Nature, was quoted as saying that "the finding was an indication that ecology in the area is not dead yet."

The main issue that is now at hand is that conservation in this region should be a top priority. What is needed is a way to restrict fishing in the area to protect the dolphins. The reason for this is because the dolphins are becoming increasingly threatened by accidental entanglement in fishing nets. Another threat is that rising sea levels caused by climate change also threaten the freshwater dolphins. But the news of the finding of all these dolphins is indeed wonderful and gives us another opportunity to ensure that they will be with us for a very long time.