Ahsanul Amin George back from Sundarbans :
With the aid of the World Bank, Tiger census through camera tracking would likely to start at the end of November, this year in the Sundarbans, Forest Division sources said.
While tigers are increasing at different countries in the world, but tigers in Sundarbans at Bangladesh part are decreasing alarmingly. According to a recent census report, only 106 tigers are existing in the Sundarbans at Bangladesh part.
According to data analysts, Royal Bengal tigers, the national animal of Bangladesh in the Sundarbans are decreasing gradually. The number of tigers stood at half in 10 years.
As per tiger census jointly by Bangladesh and India in 2014, the number of tigers in the Sundarbans is 419.
Tiger census is made in three ways- pugmark, camera tracking and haunt survey, according to forest department sources.
India has recently completed its part of the camera tracking.
In Bangladesh, the Forest Division has divided the Sundarbans in three parts- Katka-Kochikhali, Nilkamal area and Goalkhali-Koikhali.
“Though the census has not yet completed, analysis of the data collected from the two parts suggest the number of tigers would be less than 200 in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans”, said a forest department official.
In the camera tracking census, two video cameras are placed face to face on two sides of the corridors used by tigers. Later, the experts examine the tigers images captured in the cameras and determine the number of the royal beast by analyzing their stripes. Each tiger has a unique set of stripes like the finger prints of human being.
A total of 270 cameras have been set up in three parts, each having 90 cameras installed at 45 points. Animal ecologists and conservation biologists consider the camera trapping as one of the most scientific method of Tiger census, said Muhammad Sayeed Ali, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of west division of Forest department.
“The pugmark survey was not a scientific method and it overestimated the number of tigers”.
said Prof. Yadvendradev Jhala of the wild life institution of India. Jhala is working as an expert in Bangladesh census as well.
“May be there are two hundred tigers in the forest, but we need to see whether the number is decreasing or sustaining”, Jhala added.
According to experts, some poachers entered the Sundarbans secretly who hunt tigers and due to their poaching, tigers are decreasing from the Suundarbans.
Recently, a crime prevention company of Rab-6, led by Company Commander Major Abdullah Al Mehedi launched a drive and arrested two poachers from Koyra area of
Khulna district along with a large hide of tiger, weight of which is about 2.195 kgs, worth about Tk 15 lakh.
Royal Bengal Tiger roamed in 17 districts of Bangladesh only a century ago but at present the Sundarbans is the only habitat in the country for the majestic beasts.
While contacted on Novenber 10,2016 at around 11.55am, Md. Jahiruddin Ahmed, Conservator of Forest (CF) of Khulna region told this correspondent that tiger census through camera tracking would be started at the end of this month of (November).
With the aid of the World Bank, Tiger census through camera tracking would likely to start at the end of November, this year in the Sundarbans, Forest Division sources said.
While tigers are increasing at different countries in the world, but tigers in Sundarbans at Bangladesh part are decreasing alarmingly. According to a recent census report, only 106 tigers are existing in the Sundarbans at Bangladesh part.
According to data analysts, Royal Bengal tigers, the national animal of Bangladesh in the Sundarbans are decreasing gradually. The number of tigers stood at half in 10 years.
As per tiger census jointly by Bangladesh and India in 2014, the number of tigers in the Sundarbans is 419.
Tiger census is made in three ways- pugmark, camera tracking and haunt survey, according to forest department sources.
India has recently completed its part of the camera tracking.
In Bangladesh, the Forest Division has divided the Sundarbans in three parts- Katka-Kochikhali, Nilkamal area and Goalkhali-Koikhali.
“Though the census has not yet completed, analysis of the data collected from the two parts suggest the number of tigers would be less than 200 in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans”, said a forest department official.
In the camera tracking census, two video cameras are placed face to face on two sides of the corridors used by tigers. Later, the experts examine the tigers images captured in the cameras and determine the number of the royal beast by analyzing their stripes. Each tiger has a unique set of stripes like the finger prints of human being.
A total of 270 cameras have been set up in three parts, each having 90 cameras installed at 45 points. Animal ecologists and conservation biologists consider the camera trapping as one of the most scientific method of Tiger census, said Muhammad Sayeed Ali, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of west division of Forest department.
“The pugmark survey was not a scientific method and it overestimated the number of tigers”.
said Prof. Yadvendradev Jhala of the wild life institution of India. Jhala is working as an expert in Bangladesh census as well.
“May be there are two hundred tigers in the forest, but we need to see whether the number is decreasing or sustaining”, Jhala added.
According to experts, some poachers entered the Sundarbans secretly who hunt tigers and due to their poaching, tigers are decreasing from the Suundarbans.
Recently, a crime prevention company of Rab-6, led by Company Commander Major Abdullah Al Mehedi launched a drive and arrested two poachers from Koyra area of
Khulna district along with a large hide of tiger, weight of which is about 2.195 kgs, worth about Tk 15 lakh.
Royal Bengal Tiger roamed in 17 districts of Bangladesh only a century ago but at present the Sundarbans is the only habitat in the country for the majestic beasts.
While contacted on Novenber 10,2016 at around 11.55am, Md. Jahiruddin Ahmed, Conservator of Forest (CF) of Khulna region told this correspondent that tiger census through camera tracking would be started at the end of this month of (November).
