Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
Sports «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Tigers, as famous as the Sundarbans are because of them, remain a virtually unstudied species. Not only is there a lack of research funds, and proper technology and infrastructure, the terrain is just too unfriendly and unfamiliar. As a result, the conservation of this animal is also next to impossible.
   “Bengal tiger in the Bangladesh Sundarbans”, a worthy attempt to shed some light on this magnificent yet mysterious beast, is a book to be lauded simply because of the layman’s terms used and the easy readability of it. Written by AHM Ali Reza, of the Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University in collaboration with Professor Anwarul Islam, Dr. Mostafa Feeroz., and Dr. Ainun Nishat, it was published recently by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).
   The first section of the book deals with the biography of the tiger, naming the eight sub species of tigers that exist, and the evolution, taxonomy, population and distribution of the Bengal tiger. It focuses on the factors that make the Bengal tiger unique to the mangrove forests, with its ability to adapt to its swampy habitat, inclination to kill humans, semi-aquatic life, and the ability to drink saline water. The world’s Bengal tiger population is estimated at 3,176-4,556 animals, though the number cannot be calculated entirely to the mark. The overall tiger distribution ranges through fourteen counties, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Cambodia, to name a few. Legal protection is available in all 14 countries, but not effectively applied, and only 6 out of the 14 countries are a party to CITES.
   The next section deals with the forest itself. Covering an area of 5,770 km2, this is the largest mangrove forest in the world and a World Heritage Site. This part deals with the location of the forest (in the southwest of Bangladesh) and its geomorphologic features. It also talks about its biodiversity, the forest structure and composition. There are predominantly eight species of plants, including xylocarpus mekongensis (passur), bruguiera gymnorhiza (kankra) and ceriops decandra (goran). Two study sites which are specifically cited are the Katka-Kochikhali area under the Sharankhola region, which falls into a slightly saline zone, and the Burigoalini area under the Satkhira range.
   An entire section of the book is devoted to the prey dependency of the tiger. The key prey species of the Sundarban tiger are the spotted deer, the wild boars and the rhesus macaque. It touches upon habitat preference of the three species, which covers a broad range of habitat types, including the forest, meadow, sea beach, forest edge, water hole area, and riverbank and briefly elaborates on the sex ration of the prey and the breeding season.
   One of the most crucial factors in the decline of tigers, is their confrontation with man. Man-tiger interaction is discussed, with tables showing incidences of tiger killings by humans. The fact that the book stresses on is that tigers are basically shy animals, only turning to human flesh when they get old and lose their teeth or eye sight. The human-tiger confrontation is further accelerated by the fact that thousands of fishermen, wood cutters and honey collectors depend on the forests for their livelihood and thus fall victim to the tiger.
   The present management strategy of the Sundarbans falls under the Forest Act 1927. With the enactment of the Bangladesh Wildlife Preservation (Amendment) Act 1974, it has been passed that nobody can kill, hunt or capture tigers. There are, needless to say, many constraints to conservation: there are no long-term tiger conservation strategies, no proper and sustainable management endeavours, and unsatisfactory law and order enforcement activities and poaching. Industries such as brackish water fisheries, fishing and shrimp farming contribute to the environmental pollution. Dams and barrages have have reduced the freshwater flow from upstream alarmingly and ‘salt pans’ that have been set up within the forest areas because of lesser tide inundation destroy the vegetation. Public awareness, political commitments, and grassroots level involvement are the keys to saving the tiger in the Sundarban.
   The last recommendation is to allot 50 per cent of the reserved land exclusively to the Bengal tiger and its prey species, and the rest 50: to be declared a buffer zone, where a certain amount of resource exploitation and other activities may be permitted.
   With gorgeous photography by Ali Reza himself, noted wildlife photographers Elisabeth and Rubaiyat Mansur, Khasru Chowdhury, and contributions from Sanctuary, in-depth field research, a well-edited presentation, ‘Bengal tiger in the Bangladesh Sundarbans’ explains the habits and the habitat of the animal as it is rarely done.

The winter has now come. The temperature is just above freezing so they are wrapped in jumpers and thick coats as they head out into one of the last great wilderness areas on Earth.
   The bush is thick. It is hard to catch your step. The towering canopy of the eucalyptus trees blots out all but the faintest glow of moonlight.
   I have come on this expedi- tion to join Col Bailey and a group of friends on a tiger hunt.
   The fact that the Tasmanian ‘tiger’ was officially declared extinct nearly 70 years ago does not deter Col and his fellow tiger hunters one bit.
   
   Exotic species
   They are convinced that the nocturnal Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), one of the most exotic species to have roamed the Earth, is still out there somewhere hanging on for survival.
   Col tells me he saw one 40 years ago and has been looking for another ever since.
   ‘I’ve smelt one and tracked several since then and you cannot come much closer than that.’ He smiles to himself as if reliving the experience once more. ‘They are out there for sure’.
   There is not a moment of doubt in his mind.
   The Tasmanian tiger was once the king of the Australian bush.
   A carnivorous marsupial, it is in fact no relation to the rest of the tiger of the family.
   It is described as about the size of an Alsatian dog with a head that looks almost too big for its body.
   Its fur is tan in colour but its back is covered with black stripes.
   On seeing it for the first time, European settlers arriving in Australia more than 200 years ago immediately thought it must be some kind of tiger. The name stuck.
   Col explains as we stumble over the terrain: ‘It’s not like most predators. It does not possess great speed. Rather than pouncing on its prey, it just runs them down over hours and days. It’s more a marathon runner than a sprinter.’
   The last known Tasmanian tiger died in Hobart zoo of exposure in 1936.
   The species had been quite deliberately hunted to extinction by farmers incensed at
   the number of sheep being taken by animals that were seen as nothing more than pests.
   
   Big reward
   There was a bounty on the tigers’ heads. Professional shooters were encouraged to go out into the bush.
   Each pelt they came back with earned them a government-sponsored reward.
   But now the hunt has come full circle. Australia’s leading news magazine, The Bulletin, is offering a $1m reward to anyone who can photograph a tiger and prove that the species still survives.
   Col and the dozens of other long-term hunters say money never has been and never will be their motivation.
   There are clear parallels with the hunt for the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland.
   The tiger engenders a similar obsession inside the hearts of true believers, but there is a much more solid scientific basis for thinking the tiger really is still alive.
   Mena Jones is one of Tasmania’s most respected wildlife biologists. She leads
   a research team at Hobart University and has an open mind about the tiger’s
   survival.
   ‘The longer it goes without a verified sighting, the less likely it is that they are out there.’
   However, she tells me: It is quite possible that pockets of tigers have survived. They would be very hard to spot, and they are most likely in areas that are almost impossible for humans to reach.
   There may well be valleys out in the bush where small colonies are still hiding out.”
   Tasmania does contain a huge expanse of wilderness. There is hope for the tiger.
   Several apparently credible witnesses have claimed to have seen them in recent years.
   The only snag is that photographs of the tigers are proving as elusive as the creatures themselves.
   — BBC