Bangladesh and India have announced they will begin conducting a census of tigers Wednesday supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Sundarbans, a fragile mangrove forest habitat shared by the two countries, with 40 per cent located in Bangladesh and 60 per cent in India.
The tiger census is the first of a series of joint activities between the South Asian neighbours under a cross-border initiative to protect the health of the Sundarbans, the worlds largest mangrove forest.
The Sundarbans, which extend north from the Bay of Bengal, is home to more than 6 million people and a dwindling, but still relatively large population of Bengal tigers. Its ecosystem is deteriorating because of population pressures and poorly enforced environmental regulations in Bangladesh and India.
The UNDP issued a statement Tuesday welcoming the move by Bangladesh and India, describing it as an “historic milestone in cross-border collaboration to protect globally significant biodiversity.”
– Today Bangladesh and India are taking valuable steps towards restoring pride to the region in having healthy tiger populations and habitats. This approach also underscores the growing realization that tigers are not a threat, rather an asset to be protected, said Jørgen Lissner, UNDP Resident Representative in Bangladesh. (Lissner has former been employed by Danchurchaid in Copenhagen).
This tiger census should also be an improvement on previous attempts because it uses measuring methods considered more accurate by those in the field.
As part of the census, local communities will receive training on how to help relocate “stray” tigers into the wild and away from populated areas.
Kilde: FNs Nyhedstjeneste
