Tigress trapped in poachers’ snare in Sundarbans rescued

A tigress trapped in a snare set by deer poachers in the Sundarbans was rescued by the Forest Department on Sunday afternoon near Boiragi Bari along Sarkir canal in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat district.

The tigress was tranquilised and safely freed from the trap around 3pm, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Division Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury.

He said Forest Department personnel rushed to the spot after receiving information and cordoned off the area from Saturday evening.

“The rescue operation began on Sunday and was completed in the afternoon after continuous efforts,” he added.

The tigress sustained a deep injury to its front left leg, he said.

Veterinary surgeon Dr Julkar Naeem from Gazipur Safari Park used a tranquiliser gun to render the animal unconscious while Forest Department experts were present during the operation.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said it is believed the tigress was caught in the snare set by deer poachers three to four days earlier.

“The animal also became weak due to prolonged entrapment and exposure to cold weather. The tigress will be taken to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Khulna for treatment and once recovered, will be released back into the Sundarbans, “he said.

Meanwhile, Prof Mohammad Anwarul Islam, chief executive of WildTeam, said the tigress had been suffering severely since being trapped particularly due to the ongoing cold condition.

“The rescue should have been conducted earlier. Due to the absence of a dedicated veterinary surgeon in the Sundarbans, it was delayed until Sunday afternoon,” he said, stressing the need for permanent veterinary surgeons in both the Sundarbans East and West divisions.

He also said the Forest Department lacks adequate preparedness for wildlife emergencies.

Members of the Village Tiger Response Team, along with Forest Department staff, remained on guard at the site from Saturday night.

According to Forest Department data, camera trap surveys show that the number of tigers in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans stood at 125 as of October 2024.

The population was estimated at 114 in 2018 and 106 in 2015.

The Sundarbans covers a total area of 6,017 square kilometres, of which 4,143 square kilometres is land. More than half of the forest is currently designated as protected area. Each tiger typically occupies a home range of 14 to 16 square kilometres.

Tigers in the Sundarbans remain under threat from poaching, climate change and rising salinity.