The tiger population count in Bangladesh shows a hopeful upward trend in the Sundarbans

According to reports, the Bengal tiger population in Bangladesh has been growing steadily in the last nine years due to the government’s conservation initiatives. The latest published census report on the status of tigers in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh, considered the only remaining tiger habitat in the country, shows that there are at least 125 adult tigers living in Bangladesh.

According to the IUCN Red List, the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is an endangered species worldwide. Data from the Global Tiger Forum shows that in 2023 there were 5,574 wild tigers in 13 tiger range countries.

The Bangladesh survey, conducted using camera traps in two different periods – January 2 to April 25, 2023 and November 1 to March 28, 2024 – shows that the big cat population increased by 17.92% compared to the 2015 survey is and 9.65% compared to 2018.

Speaking about the survey and the methods used, Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, project director of the Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project, said: “We surveyed 2,240 square kilometers (865 square miles), which is about 50% of the total area [Sundarbans] For the study, we used forest areas and used 1,210 cameras at 605 locations to capture the images.” The mangrove forest of the Sundarbans covers an area of ​​10,277 km² (3,968 miles²), of which 6,017 km² (2,323 miles²) is located in Bangladesh and the rest in neighboring India.

In addition, the study monitored the big cat’s tracks along 1,306 km (811 miles) of narrow rivers and canals in the forest.

“Based on the images and pugmark analysis, we have identified 84 adult tigers,” Hossain said.

Taking into account the identified tigers and the evidence of their presence, the analysis shows that the tiger density in the Sundarbans is 2.64 per 100 km² (38.6 miles²), indicating that the total number of tigers in the Bangladesh part of the mangroves is 125.

In 2015 and 2018, Bangladesh conducted two tiger censuses in the Sundarbans and estimated the number of tigers at 106 and 114, respectively.

Conservationists attribute this success to conservation efforts in recent years, including the installation of mesh fences and increased anti-poaching patrols.

The interconnected populations of prey and predators

According to the census data, the Sundarbans mangroves are also home to around 330 species of flowers, 400 species of fish, 300 species of birds, 35 reptiles and 42 mammals. The forest is home to many globally threatened species, including the Bengal tiger, the Ganges dolphin (Platanista gangetica) and the Irrawadi dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris).

In early 2023, researchers noted an increase in the population of tiger prey such as the spotted deer in the mangroves, which they say indicates a healthy ecosystem for the predator.

For the latest survey, three areas in the forest were selected – Khulna, Satkhira and Chandpai-Sarankhola. In addition to tiger numbers, the survey also examined the population ratio in the three ranges and found that tiger density is increasing in Khulna. In contrast, the Chandpai-Sarankhola and Satkhira ranges recorded declines, with Satkhira recording the most significant decline.

The census report states that poaching of both tigers and their main prey, the chital (axis axis) and unauthorized forest resource harvesting by some locals in the Satkhira forests as two of the reasons for the decline of tigers in the region.

The report also suggests several conservation measures, including increased smart patrols by the Forest Guard and Coast Guard, as well as measures by the Forest Department to sensitize communities living around the forest on tiger conservation and conflict.

Mohammad Abdul Aziz, a professor of zoology at Jahangirnagar University, who is also part of the survey team, said increased monitoring of illegal activities in the forest over the years and control of “forest robbers” and poachers have played a positive role in the increase Big cat population trends in Bangladesh.

Banner image: A tiger in the Sundarbans. Image by Anupam Mukherjee via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The number of Sundarban tigers and prey is increasing amid Bangladesh’s conservation efforts