According to international surveys, Bangladesh is considered as having the most Tiger-Human Conflict (THC) compared to the rest of the word due to the loss of both tiger and human lives associated with it. The loss of Sundarban’s biodiversity due to human failures and dependence is one of the biggest reasons behind such a state. A news report said, the extinction of the magnificent Royal Bengal Tiger is looming nearer as rates of Tiger-Human Conflict (THC), poaching, shrinking habitat and prey depletion are increasing exponentially, causing an irreversible threat to the Bengal Tiger species.
According to reports, over one million people are directly dependent on Sundarbans, which is home to the Royal Bengal Tigers, for their livelihoods. Experts claim up to two tigers are poached each year but most of the poaching goes unrecorded due to the covert activities of poachers and weak surveillance and monitoring of Forest Department. The forest department relayed that there were at present about 440 Royal Bengal Tigers in Sundarbans. Of them, 121 were male, 298 female and 21 were cubs. The department said that on an average 25-40 people were killed by the tiger every year while 2-3 tigers were put down by the local people each year. Between 2000 and June 2014, a total of 39 tigers died in Sundarbans. Of them, 26 were killed by humans and 13 others by natural causes while tigers killed 328 people. About 290 incidents of tiger-human conflict had been recorded by the department since 2008.
Reports also added that number of tiger-human conflict in Bangladesh is more than the number altogether in India, home to the world’s largest population of tigers, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Over harvesting in the Sundarbans is a major cause of such threat on the lives of the Big Cats. Similarly, increased salinity, overall environmental degradation and climate warming followed by sea-level rise also threatening the very existence of the Sundarbans as sanctuary to the wild lives and the Big Cats in particular.
Forest depletion, poaching of wild animals and inefficient surveillance of government officials in charge of the Forest Ministry are the leading causes of such a situation where an endangered species like the Royal Bengal Tiger are at the brink of extinction. Stronger initiatives need to be taken in order to regulate the rampant crimes of poaching taking place in the Sundarbans and trained labour should be employed who will be able to handle the habitat and keep the tigers safe from poachers.
The prime reason – economic dependence on the Sunderbans – needs to be addressed and alternative employment provided for the people who are dependent on the forest for their livelihood. Initiatives to enable the natives living there to find out alternate, greener methods of employment generation from the forest and its nearby areas are essential if the forest is to survive. This must be addressed seriously – if necessary an environmental police must be appointed to see that continuous encroachment and the rapid felling of trees is checked.
