Illegal deer poaching in the Sunderbans are on the rise in the Sundarbans despite government’s continuous drive there, bringing a new threat to this vegetarian animal.
A vested quarter at Bangladeshi part of the Sundarbans is active in hunting deer and selling its flesh.
Conscious persons of the area have protested such unrestrained hunting of wildlife, mainly deer, and demanded to take action against those illegal poachers in the Sundarbans immediately. It is learnt, in various places of the Sunderbans, venison (flesh of deer) is being sold regularly.
Locals informed that the poachers are very active and are engaged unabated and indiscriminately to hunt deer at Sutarkhali, Kalabpogi, Nolian, Kalinagar, Koilashganj, Ramnagar, Banishanta, Dhangmari, Khejuria and Laudob Upazilas under West and the Eastern parts of the Sundarbans.
A section of identified poachers was very active in the said regions of the forest to hunt or poach deer using various traps made of ropes for last couples of months. Officials of the Department of Forest and the Members of Coast Guard occasionally nab those butchers with flesh and deer traps but the hunting of deer and selling of its flesh is continuing almost unabated.
The Forest Department and members of Bangladesh Coast Guard in separate drives arrested 14 deer poachers and seize 160 kg of deer meat in last two months. However, locals around the forest alleged that a group of poachers aided by some local political leaders, activists, and representatives of local government bodies, colluding with some corrupt forest officials and staff, are poaching deer in the forest throughout the year.
Wildlife Researchers said that if such poaching continues further, the spotted, barking deer of the Sundarbans might become extinct and the Royal Bengal tigers of the forest would also face the threat of existence in absence of those deer.
Assistant Conservator of Forests Sheikh Mahbub said that forest guards are enforcing their drives to arrest illegal poachers.
He however admits the difficulty of stopping such illegal activities for the vast area of forest.
