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Sundarbans tigers face food crisis

Survey seeks ways to increase deer, boars

21 February 2009, 18:00 PM

NATIONAL

Quazi Amanullah, Khulna

Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division of Sundarbans Forest Division (SFD) is conducting a survey to find out solution to food crisis faced by Royal Bengal Tigers in the mangrove forest. Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans started facing food crisis after the mangrove forest was ravaged by cyclone Sidr on November 15 in 2007. Sidr claimed lives of large number of deer and boars, creating food crisis for tigers, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Abu Naser Mohammad Yasin Newaz who is in charge of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division of SFD. The survey being coordinated by national wildlife expert Prof Anwarul Islam with participation of British consultant on tiger affairs David Smith and another tiger expert Adam Burlo will continue till December this year, said DFO Yasin Newaz. The survey being funded by USA is mainly aimed to determine the food requirement of Royal Bengal Tigers in the forest, count the number of deer and boars in the forest and ascertain if they are enough to meet the need of tigers, the DFO said. He further said the team working on the survey styled “Trade and Plate” would also carry out research on movement of tigers in different routes of the forest. A special team headed by Conservator of Forests Ishtiaquddin Ahmed visited the Sundarbans from February 2 to 4 to monitor the survey work. When asked, conservator of forests said the Sundarbans Forest Division has a plan also to implement another project on how to increase deer and boars in addition to solving food crisis for tigers. At present, there are over 400 Royal Bengal Tigers in the Sundarbans, he said.