CU greens a rich sanctuary for wildlife

From top left are bats, deer and python and afforestation by the Department of Forest at Chittagong University, bottom. PHOTO: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

The pristine natural bushes on the Chittagong University campus has become a rich sanctuary for hundreds of wildlife, trees and plants.

Some of these birds, trees and plants are near extinct but flourishing on a 1,365 acres of land adorned with hills and vegetation within the campus.

Of the total land, the CU authorities are using only 500 acres of land for infrastructures and other necessary establishments. The rest 865 acres of land are hilly and unusable.

Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science (IFES) of the university launched an integrated initiative in 1982 to conserve the echo-system for the betterment of organisms. The institute authorities have so far brought around 450 acres of land under the aforestation programme and at least five lakh of saplings of 200 species including most vulnerable timber, fruit and medicinal plants have been planted.

Apart from this, the Department of Botany launched an aforestation campaign on the campus in 1976 to properly utilise the unusable land.

Various wild animals including deer, monkey, fox, wild hog, porcupine, squirrel and rabbits roam on the campus without any fear. Besides, the green campus housed some rare species of snake and frog.

Medicinal plants include -- Swarpagandha (scientific name- Rauvolfia serpentina), Shat-amulee (Asparagus race-mosus), Kalamegh (Andro-graphis paniculata), Akand (Calotropis procera), Kurchi (Holarrhena antidysenterica), Bashak (Adhatoda vasica), Ghritkumari (Aloe barbadense) and Nishindha (Vitex negundo).

The wooden trees are Sepium, Indigofera, Pine, Caliendra, Ekashia, Boilam, Banshpata, Tezbal, Haritaki, Dhup, Baitta, Garjan, Cicous and Uriam.

The IFES authorities are hopeful of marketing medicinal plants within a year or two. The authorities signed an agreement with leading herbal medicine company -- Hamdard Limited -- in this regard.

A research conducted by the director of IFES-Professor Dr. Md. Kamal Hossain and his student Rashed Ul Momen found that about 835 species of plants under 512 genera and 136 families have been recorded as flora on the campus with naturally breeding phanerogam.

Of these, 369 are herbs, 174 shrubs, 78 climbers and 187 trees. Of them, 134 species are medicinal plants, 55 timber species and 53 ornamental plants. Among the ornamental plants, 42 species are ornamental flowering plants and the rest 11 are ornamental foliage plants.

Moreover, about 30 fruit species and 28 vegetable species are also cultivated by the inhabitants and settlers on the campus. Of the vegetable species, 17 are fruit vegetables, one flower vegetable, five leaf vegetables, 4 stem vegetables and 1 root vegetable.

There are also 44 species of orchid on the CU Campus. Among the non-flowering plants, there are 47 species of algal flora and 52 species of fern. But this number will be much more.

Besides, about 319 species of fauna under 211 genera, 99 family and 6 classes have been recorded on the campus. Of 319 species, 19 belong to mammals, 138 aves, 20 reptiles, 12 amphibians and 117 species belong to insects.

Among the 19 species of mammals, 4 are arboreal and the rest 15 are terrestrial. The arboreal mammals are monkey, short-nose fruit bat, flying fox and common yellow bat. Among the terrestrial mammals, monkey and barking deer are not the residents of the campus. They are migratory and mainly come from Sitakunda and other adjoining forest areas for food. The common mammals of the campus are jackal, squirrel and wild boar.

Of the 20 species of reptiles, 11 are snakes including the deadly cobra and python, 8 lizards and one rare yellow tortoise.

Of the 12 amphibians, one is toad and the rest 11 are frogs.

The researchers revealed that at least 20 deer, 40-50 wild swine, huge number of porcupine, hundreds of squirrel, rabbits, banrui and python are living on the campus.

Dr Kamal said that hundreds of brick-kiln set up at the IFES area is a threat to the echo-system. "The brick-kilns that emit black smoke (sulphur dioxide) is very dangerous for all sort of living creatures," he said. He emphasised on adequate infrastructures to attract foreign scholar for research.

Vice Chancellor Professor AJM Nuruddin Chowdhury said "We have significantly proposed to the education ministry for an additional allocation in the Annual Development Progr-amme (ADP) for constructing boundary wall around the campus to conserve the diversified wildlife."