Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF) of Bangladesh is the largest mangrove forest in the world. The process of tiger counting using camera traps has commenced in the Sundarbans East Forest Division. The survey, which began on Sunday, November 5, is expected to provide an estimate of the total number of tigers in the Sundarbans by July 29, 2024, which coincides with World Tiger Day.
A total of 600 camera traps will be installed at 300 stations across the Chandpai and Sharankhola ranges of the Sundarbans to gather tiger data. The data will then be analyzed, and the actual number of tigers will be revealed on July 29, 2024. The ‘Tiger Conservation Project’ has allocated approximately $0.24 million* to fund the tiger enumeration efforts.
Survey work is already underway in the Satkhira and Khulna ranges of the West Sundarbans division of Bagerhat, the remaining two ranges. The survey is scheduled to be completed by April of next year.
Camera trapping is the global standard method for tiger counting. This technique involves determining tiger density by analyzing the captured images. Following the same method in Bangladesh, tiger counting will be carried out in 4,400 square kilometers of the Sundarbans’ total area of 6,000 square kilometers. Camera traps will capture images of tigers’ faces and stripes, which will be used to identify individuals. This complex statistical task will ultimately yield an accurate estimate of the tiger population.
Project officials of the Tiger Conservation Project believe that the increasing number of prey animals in the Sundarbans, such as deer and wild boar, will contribute to a rise in the tiger population. Last year, the prey population stood at 82,000, but it has now increased to 142,000. Therefore, the project officials are optimistic about the prospects of a growing tiger population in the Sundarbans.
Currently, there are an estimated 3,840 tigers surviving in the wild across 13 countries worldwide. The first tiger survey in the Bangladesh Sundarbans was conducted in 2013-14, revealing a population of 106 tigers. The last survey, carried out in 2018, estimated the tiger population at 114.
(*Exchange rate: 01 USD = 110.27 BDT)
