Just 106 Wild Tigers Left In Bangladesh

There are as little as 100 Royal Bengal tigers now living in Bangladesh’s Sunderbans forest which is much less that what was previously through according to the latest data. Based on a survey that made use of hidden cameras, forestry officials counted 106 wild tigers on the Bangladeshi side of the largest mangrove swamp in the world. It is estimated that on the Indian side there are about 74 tigers left.

Disappointing numbers

The numbers are incredibly disappointing, and mark a decline from 10 years ago when there were 440 tigers recorded. Experts say the fall in numbers is due to rampant poaching. They add however that numbers also represent the fact the surveying techniques are much more accurate. In previous counts, tiger paw prints which are unique to each tiger were used to count tigers. Hidden camera produce lower numbers that are more accurate. Gangs are killing tigers to profit from the trade in skins and body parts.

“The numbers have declined largely because of poaching, which is the main threat to the tigers in Sunderbans. The threat comes not only from stray poaching, which is rampant, but also from organised gangs of poachers. Unless we have an independent, dedicated anti-poaching unit, the future is not bright for the tigers in Bangladesh.” Dr Anwarul Islam, Professor of Zoology at Dhaka University said.

Less than 2,300 tigers left in the wild

There are less than 2,300 Bengal tigers left in the wild. These tigers roam mainly in Bangladesh and India however there are small populations that live in Myanmar, China, Bhutan and Nepal. The Sunderbans is a piece of land that is 10,000 square kilometres of dense forest that straddles Bangladesh and India.