The Bangladesh government has created its first national plan to conserve the endangered Royal Bengal tiger. The Tiger Action Plan aims to save an estimated 300-500 tigers in the Sundarbans mangrove forest, reports BBC online Wednesday.
The area in the south-east of the country has one of the largest remaining Bengal tiger populations. Experts have described the plan as “a tiger-sized leap for conservation” which will preserve the Bengal tiger – the world’s largest tiger sub-species. Experts say the Sundarbans is an ecological treasure trove (skattekiste).
The plan argues that saving the tiger will also help to save the Sundarbans, which represents almost half of Bangladesh’s remaining forest. Environment Secretary Mihir Kanti Majumder says that the plan provides essential ecological services for the whole region and the livelihoods of millions of local people.
– The conservation of the Sundarbans and the coastal green belt is critical for the security of the nation, particularly in light of predicted impacts of climate change. As the national animal of our country, the tiger represents an ideal focal point for our conservation efforts, particularly for the Sundarbans, he noted.
The plan was drawn up by the Bangladesh Forest Department and the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh with help from the Zoological Society of London, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Minnesota.
