Anti-poaching drive
Sundarbans to get devices
Forest dept prepares List of 300 poachers
UNB
Bangladesh Forest Department is going to install tracking devices in the Sundarbans in September next to catch poachers as wildlife hunting, particularly that of tigers, has taken a serious turn in the mangrove forest, reports UNB.
Initially, the tracking devices will be installed in 15 boats of fishermen and five of the forest department. The devices will be applied using cellphone network, divisional forest officer (Sundarbans East) M Saidul Islam said.
Later, the devices will be set up across the forest, he said, adding that the tracking will be monitored by Forest Departments Bagerhat and Chadpai Range offices.
Saidul Islam said the tracking devices will give signals if poachers go to the Sundarbans to hunt animals, including tigers. Acting on any signal, the forest department staff along with members of law-enforcement agencies will rush to spot and catch the hunters. The Forest Department goes on the vigorous conservation plan after the new tiger census 2015 has revealed that there are only 106 tigers in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans, a figure much lower than the previous one.
According to the tiger census conducted by the government in 2004, the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans was a home to 440 tigers.
Locals said there are a number of poachers gangs in nearby villages of the Sundarbans and they are involved in killing tigers and other wild animals of the mangrove forest.
Later, they smuggle the skins and parts of wildlife through syndicates as these have a high demand in the international market.
They also smuggle tiger cubs after catching them from the Sundarbans. The Forest Department earlier prepared a list of 300 poachers who live in the nearby villages of the Sundarbans and it started smart patrolling in the Sundarbans to hold them and protect the wildlife, official sources said. In a latest drive, six suspected tiger poachers were killed in a gunfight with police at Mandarbari of the Sundarbans (west) in Koyra upazila of Khulna on Sunday. Police also recovered four guns, three pistols and three pieces of tiger hide from the spot.
Weve taken various steps to save Sundarbans tigers. As part of these measures, weve started smart patrolling at Satkhira range of the Sundarbans West Zone from July last. And well do so across the forest, Saidul Islam said.
If a coordinated initiative involving forest department, law-enforcement agencies and forest dwellers cannot be taken, he said, it will be difficult to protect tigers in the Sundarbans. According to the Forest Department data, at least 49 tigers were killed in the last 14 years (2001-2014) since the illegal poaching of wildlife and tiger-human conflict is on the rise in the Sundarbans, the countrys only natural tiger habitat with a range of 6,017 square kilometers.
Besides, about 232 people were killed in tiger-human conflict during the period. Wildteam chief executive Prof Anwarul Islam said as tigers are struggling to survive in the adverse environment of the Sundarbans, pressure on the forest must be minimised to protect the big cats.
If we cant stop poaching and restore suitable atmosphere of the Sundarbans, tigers will no longer survive in the forest, he feared.
Bangladesh is committed to increasing tiger population in the Sundarbans in accordance with the declaration of International Tiger Forum held in St Petersburg (Russia) in November 2010.
The International Tiger Forum declared their collective political will to take all necessary actions to prevent the extinction of wild tigers and increase global tiger population double by 2022.
