For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
In the heart of the Sundarbans, where diverse wildlife roam freely, a silent crisis is unfolding — a disturbing surge in illegal deer poaching is sweeping across the world’s largest mangrove forest and Unesco World Heritage Site.
In the past three months alone, Forest Department officials and the Coast Guard personnel have recovered 641 kilogrammes of venison and detained 22 people involved in poaching operations across various areas, according to officials.
Wildlife experts and local residents are alarmed, warning that this unchecked poaching could severely disrupt the Sundarbans' delicate ecological balance — potentially leading to the disappearance of its iconic Royal Bengal Tigers, which depend heavily on deer as their primary food source.
However, the poaching rings — sophisticated and persistent — show no signs of slowing down.
According to data provided by the Eastern and Western Divisions of the Sundarbans Forest Department and the Mongla Coast Guard West Zone, several joint operations were conducted between January and March.
These efforts led to the seizure of a slaughtered deer, another dead deer, two hides, two heads, eight legs, 160 traps, four trawlers, five boats, a microbus, seven mobile phones, and the arrest of 22 individuals.
So far, 25 separate cases have been filed.
Despite periodic crackdowns, organised poaching rings continue unabated.
Poachers typically enter the forest illegally, set traps or use poisonous bait to capture spotted deer, slaughter them on site and then transport the meat to nearby villages for sale.
Venison is reportedly sold for Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 per kilogramme in both local and distant markets, including capital Dhaka, over 250 kilometres away.
Local voices echo the alarm.
Jamal Gazi, a fisherman and community patrol group (CPG) member from Sharankhola upazila, claims that nearly 100 active deer poachers operate in the area, often under the protection of influential figures.
Gazi, a long-time advocate for forest conservation, says he has received threats for his stance.
“Despite our appeals, the poaching continues. We are risking our lives to save the forest, but they [poachers] are well-organised and well-connected," he said.
“Poachers don’t need to invest to obtain deer — they enter the forest, kill the animals, and sell the meat for a significant profit. That’s why they are increasingly motivated,” said Dr Anwarul Islam, wildlife expert and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WildTeam.
“The deer is the tiger’s primary food source. If deer vanish from the Sundarbans, so will the tiger,” he warned.
Forest officials said surveillance and patrols are being stepped up, particularly in high-risk zones such as Dacope, Chandpai, Sharankhola and Mongla.
Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Eastern Sundarbans, stated that patrols have been intensified and no compromise will be made with anyone found colluding with poachers.
DFO AZM Hasanur Rahman of the Western Division admitted the challenges persist.
“We’re conducting regular operations and inspecting suspicious trawlers and boats at various forest points,” he said, noting that his division alone had seized 255 kilogrammes of venison and recovered both a slaughtered and a dead deer in the past three months.
Residents and wildlife experts are calling for a multipronged strategy to address the crisis.
This includes stricter enforcement of wildlife protection laws, stronger political will, public awareness campaigns, and rehabilitation schemes offering alternative livelihoods to former poachers.
“We must involve local communities in conservation efforts. People need to realise that deer are tiger food — not human food. Without reducing demand, we cannot cut off supply,” said Dr Anwarul Islam.
He emphasised the need for a national awareness campaign with a clear message: “Say No to Venison.”
The Sundarbans — spanning 6,017 square kilometres, including 4,143 square kilometres of land and 1,873 square kilometres of water — is home to an estimated 136,604 spotted deer and 125 Royal Bengal Tigers.
As poaching networks grow more sophisticated, officials and conservationists fear time is running out — for the deer, for the tigers, and for the Sundarbans itself.