Govt wants tigers in densely deer populated forests
Says environment minister
Khulna District Administration and Bangladesh Forest Department bring out a procession in Khulna city yesterday marking “World Tiger Day 2012â€. Photo: Banglar Chokh
The government is considering whether it can introduce tigers in the country's densely deer populated places, including Nijhum Dwip, to maintain ecological balance, said Environment and Forests Minister Hasan Mahmud at a discussion yesterday. "We are thinking over this issue and I have already talked with the World Bank whether we can introduce tigers in such places where deer population is boosting in Bangladesh," he said. The Department of Forests organised the discussion at Osmani Memorial auditorium in the capital marking the Global Tiger Day, 2012 yesterday. As elsewhere in the world, the day was observed in Bangladesh on the theme “Save Sundarbans Tiger Landscape” this year. In the absence of tigers, deer-population is boosting rapidly in Nijhum Dwip, which is currently housing around 10,000 deer while the figure should be around 3,000 to 4,000. "Once upon a time, there were habitations of tigers in Dhaka and its adjacent areas. It is not possible to return to that historical period. But we can introduce tigers in the different forests of Bangladesh," said Mahmud. Stressing the need for identifying the actual number of tigers in Sundarbans, he said the government will conduct a tiger census soon using a modern technology using cameras. The minister also said the government will introduce 'risk allowance' for those who work in the Sundarbans facing risks imposed by wild animals. A proposal for risk allowance has already been sent to the Economic Relations Division under the Finance Ministry for approval, he said. Talking about the density of tigers in Sundarbans, he said one tiger lives per 200 square kilometres of forest in Russia, but one lives per 15 to 20 sq km in Sundarbans. Presenting a paper, Jahangirnagar University Zoology Prof Monirul Hasan Khan said around 200 to 450 tigers live in Sundarbans in Bangladesh, while the joint India and Bangladesh tiger census of 2004 estimated the figure to be 419 tigers. Chief Forest Conservator Yunus Ali chaired the discussion while Environment and Forests Secretary Mesbah Ul Alam and Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique also addressed among others. World Bank is funding the “Strengthening Regional Copoeration for Wildlife Protection Project” of the government.
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