Conservationists have reported that the largest population of rare Irrawaddy dolphins in the wild, totaling around 6,000 individuals, has been discovered in the freshwater regions of Bangladesh's Sundarbans and nearby Bay of Bengal waters. This finding was revealed at the First International Conference on Marine Mammal Protected Areas in Maui by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Previously, the largest known populations of Irrawaddy dolphins were only in the low hundreds. Dr. Steven Sanderson, president of the Wildlife Conservation Society, expressed optimism about the discovery, stating that it gives hope for the protection of endangered species and their habitats. The study was conducted by researchers including Brian Smith, Rubaiyat Mansur Mowgli, and Samantha Strindberg of the Wildlife Conservation Society, as well as Benazir Ahmed of Chittagong University in Bangladesh, in an area where little marine mammal research has been done. Despite the discovery of a large population of Irrawaddy dolphins, researchers caution that these animals are increasingly at risk of being caught in fishing nets accidentally. Two dolphins were found entangled and drowned during the study, a common problem reported by local fishermen. The Irrawaddy dolphin, also known as Orcaella brevirostris, can grow up to eight feet and is found in large rivers, estuaries, and freshwater lagoons in South and Southeast Asia. In Myanmar's Ayeyarwady River, these dolphins are known for participating in "cooperative fishing" with humans, where they help herd fish towards fishing boats and nets, ultimately benefiting from the relationship by easily catching cornered fish and those that escape the nets during the fishermen's haul. In 2006, WCS played a key role in creating a protected area on the Ayeyarwady River to protect the endangered mammal population. The WCS, based in New York, is currently collaborating with the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Bangladesh to establish a protected area network for both Irrawaddy and Ganges River dolphins in the Sundarbans mangrove forest. The conservation group emphasizes the importance of funding to sustain these efforts, as well as their long-term initiatives to research the impact of climate change on the habitat, promote sustainable fishing practices, and develop local ecotourism projects.