Camera trapping for the tiger census has been completed in the Satkhira and Khulna ranges of the Sundarbans.
Khulna Divisional Forest Officer of Sundarban West Forest Department Abu Naser Mohsin said already 200 cameras of the Satkhira range were removed in the first phase. After that 140 cameras were installed in the Khulna range, which was taken down on April 30.
“Through this, the camera trapping work of the Satkhira and Khulna ranges survey was completed. Survey cameras will not be installed for six months due to the stormy weather,” he added.
The project will be on hold for six months and will resume in November with the Sarankhola range.
The ongoing tiger census in Sundarbans, which commenced on January 1 this year, is expected to conclude shortly, with the findings set to be released on July 29, 2024, on the occasion of International Tiger Day.
The report will be published through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
File photo of Sundarbans Tiger Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneThe Forest Department reports that the Bangladeshi portion of the Sundarbans measures 6,017 square kilometers, with 4,832 square kilometers being forested and 1,185 square kilometers being wetlands.
In 1997, data indicated that these forests and wetlands supported 289 species of terrestrial animals and 219 species of aquatic animals.
The Sundarbans was home to 106 tigers during the 2015 census, and this number increased to 114 during the 2018 census.
Officials said the animals inhabiting the Sundarbans are in poor health. There have been reports of tigers dying at the ages of 11 to 12 years, whereas they were previously known to survive up to the age of 20 years.
According to a survey by the non-governmental organization Wildlife Conservation Society, there were 451 Irrawaddy dolphins and 225 Shushuk dolphins in the river in Sundarbans in 2006.
And according to a 2018 survey by the Forest Department, there are 113 Irrawaddy dolphins and 118 Shushuk dolphins.
Dolphin trafficking, overfishing, an increase in the number of tourists, fishing with poison, and water pollution have increased their threat of extinction.
Meanwhile, the last census of deers, monkeys, pigs, and wild cats in Sundarban was done in 1997. According to the census data, there were some 150,000 deers, 50,000 monkeys 20-25,000 pigs.
There were 150 to 200 crocodiles in 450 small and big rivers and canals of the Sundarbans, according to statistics dating back to 1997 from the Forest Department. The most recent survey conducted in 2017 estimated the presence of crocodiles to be from 150 to 205.
The Forest Department reported that several species in the Sundarbans have already gone extinct, and others are currently endangered.
A tiger seen resting in a bush in Sundarbans Tim LamanAbdullah Harun Chowdhury, professor of Environmental Science Discipline at Khulna University, said that the salinity of the Sundarbans rivers is continuously increasing due to climate change and a decrease in freshwater flow.
“As a result, the fauna of the Sundarbans is adversely affected. Crocodile reproduction is being affected. Tigers and other animals are getting sick by drinking the salty water,” he added.
Professor Anwarul Qadir, executive director of Sundarban Academy said that it is very important to know the status of the wildlife food chain and the number of animals in Sundarbans for wildlife management. For that, the forest department should take the necessary steps.
On March 23 last year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change gave its nod to the project, involving Tk35.93 crore. Of the project, only Tk3.27 crore will be spent for tiger census and the tenure of the project is fixed from April 2022 to June 2025.
There are 3,840 tigers in 13 countries of the world.
In 2015, the number of tigers in the Sundarbans was 106 and in 2018, that number went up to 114. Of these, 63 are mature, 18 between the age of 12-14 months, and 33 are cubs.
