Community patrolling starts to save Sundarbans

Bangladesh Forest Department has introduced a community patrolling involving locals to protect forest resources and check wildlife poaching in the Sundarbans.

On March 4, 2016, the forest department formed a 35-member "Community Patrolling Group", including four women. Divided into five teams, they are now patrolling in the Sundarbans east zone, M Saidul Islam, divisional forest officer (east) told the news agency.

The group, under the World Bank-funded Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Wildlife Protection Project, is working with the forest officials to check the poaching and fight pirates in the Sundarbans.

The community group members, already provided with special uniforms, jackets, torchlights, shoes and blow-horns, are currently working as volunteers, but they will be brought under income-generating activities in the coming days, forest officials said.

"If people living nearby come forward, it will be possible to protect the forest resources and check illegal activities and wildlife poaching easily," said Saidul.

Similar community patrolling will be introduced in Sharankhola range of the Sundarbans east zone at the end of this month, he added.

Wildlife is currently facing various troubles in the Sundarbans for the unchecked poaching and destruction of forests. According to the Tiger Census 2015, the tiger population has declined to only 106 in the Bangladesh part in 2015, while it was 440 in 2004.

The preliminary findings of a new crocodile survey also reveals that there are now only 120-130 crocodiles in the rivers and canals of the mangrove forest, while the number was about 200 in 2004.