The Forest Department has released 14 animals, including crocodiles and snakes, seized from Sundarban Resort at Barakpur in Bagerhat, at Karamjal in the Sundarbans.

The seized animals were released in stages from Saturday (12 March) afternoon in the area of the Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre.

Md Azad Kabir, officer-in-charge of the Karamjal Tourism and Wildlife Breeding Centre in the Chandpai range of the East Sundarbans, said Sundarban Resort in the Barakpur area of Bagerhat had for a long time kept wild animals of various Sundarbans species to attract visitors. A few days ago, the Forest Department's Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division in Khulna seized the animals and left them at the resort.

He said that on Saturday afternoon two saltwater crocodiles weighing 450 kg, six monkeys, two monitor lizards, a python, a fishing cat and two jungle cats were brought from the resort and released at Karamjal.

The officer added that on 3 February, 26 wild animals of 10 species seized from several eco-parks in Khulna, Jashore, Satkhira and Bagerhat were also released at Karamjal.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.