The Tangail-Mymensingh highway runs through Madhupur Garh in Tangail, the country's third-largest forest. With countless vehicles using it every day, monkeys, langurs and other wild animals are killed or injured trying to cross. To reduce this, the Forest Department has built ropeways, or overhead bridges, at five places in the forest under the Sal Forest Restoration Project, an unusual initiative to ensure animals can move safely.

The Forest Department hopes the ropeways will let wildlife cross the road safely and cut the number of animals injured or killed. Using these ropeways, fixed specially to trees, monkeys, langurs and other tree-dwelling animals can now cross the highway in safety.

The Forest Department says the Tangail-Mymensingh regional highway runs through the Madhupur forest. Monkeys, langurs, fishing cats, palm civets and other animals are often killed in accidents while crossing from one side to the other in search of food. To reduce this, ropeways have been built at five points on the highway in the Madhupur National Park Sadar Range area.

Locals say vehicles use the highway round the clock. Monkeys and langurs often come down onto the road hoping for food from tourists and passers-by, and animals are frequently killed. They believe such deaths will fall as the ropeways come into greater use.

The Madhupur forest once covered about 62,000 acres, but a large part of it has already been cleared. Deforestation, shrinking habitat and food shortages have put many wild animals at risk of extinction.

Those involved hope that, alongside the ropeways, conserving the forest and ensuring a safe environment will bring positive change for Madhupur's biodiversity.

Shafiqul Islam, convener of the Tangail Bus Minibus Owners' Association, said vehicles run on the highway day and night, and monkeys and langurs often come onto it hoping for food from tourists and passers-by, leading to sudden fatal accidents. Such deaths will fall as the ropeways are used more, he said.

Prof Dr ASM Saifullah of the environmental science department at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University said the rare capped langur of the Madhupur forest lives high in the trees and moves from tree to tree in search of food. High-voltage power lines running through the forest pose a major risk to them. Ensuring a safe electricity system would reduce deaths among the animals, keep their breeding normal and benefit the environment, he said.

Assistant Conservator of Forests Rana Deb said the ropeways would reduce road accidents and also help wildlife move freely, prevent habitat fragmentation and support breeding. "We have also tried to keep the ropeways well away from power lines. I hope the animals will have no problems," he said.

Divisional Forest Officer Dr Abu Naser Mohammad Mohsin said monkeys, langurs and nocturnal animals are often killed crossing the road through this part of the forest. Although there are warning signs telling drivers to slow down, many do not obey them. The ropeways were therefore built so that tree-dwelling animals can move safely.

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