For the first time in the Sundarbans, besides the tiger census, there is a deer and pig census
For the first time in the Sundarbans, deer and pigs will also count besides tigers. The census will conduct under the ‘Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project.’ Earlier on March 23 (2022), the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Bangladesh, approved the project to collect updated information on tigers and conserve tigers in the Sundarbans.
Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, Divisional Forest Officer of the Sundarbans West Forest Department, has confirmed this information through a press conference.
It has come known that the project’s cost is approximately 359 million. The duration of the project is from April 2022 to March 2025.
Dr. Abu Naser Mohsin said,” Tigers would count outside forest sanctuaries and areas. Less saline, moderately saline, and more saline areas of the forest will cover. Seventy-eight percent of the tiger’s food is deer.
In addition, tigers eat pigs, monkeys, and even occasionally crabs. Under the project, these tiger food animals will be under survey till 2024.”
The Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sundarbans is the national animal of Bangladesh. The IUCN has identified the tiger as one of the most endangered species in the world. At present, there are 3,840 tigers in 13 countries of the world.
In 2015, the number of tigers in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans was 106. According to the 2016’s survey, the number of tigers was 114. Sixty-three were adults, 18 were 12 to 14 months old, and 33 were cubs.
The project’s main activities include training 340 members of 49 Villages Tiger Response Teams and 185 members of the Community Patrol Group of 4 ranges in the tiger-man conflict zone in the Sundarbans’ Bangladesh part.
Besides, they will get clothes; a monthly meeting will hold with the forest workers every month. The tiger census is going to start in the Sundarbans next October.
Housing launches and support boats will rent for four months for tiger counting. The camera trapping method will purchase 200 special category camera collections, camera batteries, and SD cards for counting tigers.
There are plans to employ irregular workers and trawler operators in the survey team and conduct all survey activities through consulting experts.
The total cost of the tiger survey, including training, data collection, and data analysis for all survey team members, will be around 32 million.
Nirmal Kumar Pal, Divisional Forest Officer, Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Forest Department of Bangladesh, said 200 new cameras would purchase. In addition, there were 90 cameras purchased during 2018’s survey. They will also use in this survey work.
In a press briefing, Mihir Kumar Dawan, Forest conservator of Khulna Circle, said, “Monitoring of at least two tigers through the installation of satellite collars, the transmission of tiger parasites and other diseases and diagnostics, data collection, analysis, and reporting are among the activities of the project.”
“Every year, forest fire damages the tiger habitat in the Sundarbans. The construction of two observation trawlers and the purchase of fire extinguishers, pipes, and drones for the immediate extinguishing of fires in the Sundarbans will do throughout the project.
The rivers and canals in the vicinity of the village have filled up. That is why the tiger enters the village and threatens the security of life and property. Initiatives will take to resolve the conflict between the tigers by constructing nylon fencing in that 80 km section.
Apart from this Bangladesh’s participation in the World Tiger Conference in 2022, the country has made a significant contribution to the conservation of tigers, including the educational tour of 20 people and special training for 500 people has included in this project,” he added.
In the Sundarbans, Cyclone Sidr in 2007, Cyclone Aila in 2009, and Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas in 2021 submerged the entire forest area.
Then the forest tigers and the tigers’ prey enter the human locality for shelter. Through this project, 12 earthen forts will be set up in the Sundarbans for sheltering tigers and tiger prey during cyclones.
In all the Tiger Conservation Project activities, consultant experts will appoint special training, completion of the survey, data collection and analysis, and report preparation will include in the resources of 12 consultant experts for a short period.
In addition, all survey and research activities of the Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project will preserve as documentaries.
