The tiger population in the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, has increased by 11 since the last survey, according to the latest “Sundarbans Tiger Survey 2024”. The results, announced on Tuesday at a press conference at the secretariat by Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, show the tiger count rising from 114 in 2018 to 125 this year.
Rizwana attributed the growth to ongoing conservation efforts and stricter habitat protections. "The tiger population density in the Sundarbans is now 2.64 tigers per 100 square kilometres, a 9.65 per cent increase since 2018 and a 17.92 per cent rise from 2015," she said, citing data from the survey.
The survey utilised the camera trapping method, which has been in use since 2015. Over 318 days, 1,210 cameras were deployed across 605 grids in key regions of the Sundarbans, including Satkhira, Khulna, Chandpai, and Sharankhola ranges. This year’s survey captured 7,297 tiger photos, the highest number ever recorded, reports UNB.
Notably, 21 tiger cubs were spotted during the survey, but they were not included in the official count. "The mortality rate of tiger cubs is very high from birth to adulthood, so they are excluded from the final tally," Rizwana explained.
The tiger count was determined through the analysis of photos and data, with input from experts of India, New Zealand and the United States.
Rizwana expressed that the rise in the tiger population is a source of joy for the entire nation.
She emphasised the need for public cooperation alongside with government efforts.
To further protect this critically endangered species, the government has designated over half of the Sundarbans (53.52 per cent) as a protected area, prohibiting resource extraction. To reduce human-tiger conflicts, a 60-kilometre nylon fence is being erected near human settlements, and 12 raised earthen shelters have been built within the forest to safeguard wildlife during storms.
Jahangirnagar University zoology professor M A Aziz, who was also present at the press conference, emphasised the Sundarbans' favourable environment for tiger reproduction, predicting further population growth in the coming years.
The Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project, under which the survey was conducted, cost Tk 3.26 crore and marks the third phase of camera trapping surveys, which began in 2015.
Environment Secretary Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury, Prof M A Aziz of Jahangirnagar University, Khulna Circle Conservator of Forests Mihir Kumar Dey, and Project Director Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, among others, were present at the press briefing.
