Conflict between tigers and people is age-old in the Sundarbans. To resolve it, 49 Village Tiger Response Teams have been formed with people living next to the forest, and tiger killings have fallen somewhat. Royal Bengal tigers are now being seen at Sundarbans tourist spots too. Tourists are catching them on camera, and the images are spreading on social media. Considering the overall situation, those involved believe the number of tigers in the Sundarbans has risen.

Village Tiger Response Teams have reduced tiger killings; according to World Wildlife figures, tigers are locally extinct in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam; penalties for killing tigers have been raised; and killing a tiger is to be treated as a non-bailable offence.

A camera-trap survey by the Forest Department in 2014–15 found 106 tigers in the Sundarbans. The 2017–18 survey found 114, an 8 percent rise in three years. This year tiger counting by camera trapping is starting for the third time, which will show how many tigers there are now.

Those involved say tiger numbers rose in the last survey because forest pirates surrendered and returned to normal life and poachers became less active. More than half of the Sundarbans has already been declared protected for tiger breeding and free movement. Patrol outposts have been increased, and modern technology-based SMART patrolling has been introduced against poachers. Tourists are now seeing tigers at various places in the Sundarbans, and forest officials are also seeing more tigers than before. Overall, it can be said that numbers have risen somewhat, but this cannot be said for certain without a proper survey.

According to the Forest Department, a 1975 survey after independence put the Sundarbans tiger population at 350. The 1982 survey found 425. Two years later, in 1984, a survey of 110 square kilometres of the Sundarbans South Wildlife Sanctuary reported 430 to 450 tigers. In 1992 the Forest Department reported 359 tigers. The following year, 1993, Dhan Bahadur Tamang reported 362 tigers after a pugmark survey of 350 square kilometres. The 2004 survey found 440 tigers. Before that, in 1996–97, the number was given as 350 to 400. Tigers were counted from their footprints at that time.

Forest Department officials said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently approved a project titled "Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project". Under it, tigers will be counted by camera trapping; tigers will be relocated by age and sex ratio to parts of the Sundarbans with few tigers; satellite transmitters will be fitted to and monitored on at least two tigers; parasite infections and other diseases in tigers and their extent will be assessed; data will be collected and analysed; and nylon rope fences will be built in areas bordering villages. As part of this, camera trapping will begin in the Sundarbans from October under the supervision of the Forest Department. The numbers of spotted deer and wild boar, the tiger's prey, will also be counted.

Khulna region Conservator of Forests Mihir Kumar Do told Jago News that on the basis of the 2018 survey the Sundarbans has 114 tigers, and no survey has been held since. "We have a plan. Perhaps we will start the tiger survey again within the next year," he said. "In the past, tigers that came into villages were often beaten to death. Considering this, Village Tiger Response Teams have been formed involving people of 49 villages, including the Sundarbans. Tigers are no longer beaten to death. Now when a tiger enters a village, it is sent back with the help of local people, public representatives and law enforcers."

Chief Conservator of Forests Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury told Jago News: "We have formed 49 Village Tiger Response Teams with local people. They work with us as frontliners. If a tiger comes into a village, they inform us and make sure villagers do not kill it. Because of this public involvement, tiger killings have come down."

He said: "We found 114 tigers in 2018. We plan to start camera trapping for the third time from this year. If we can, we may learn the number of tigers. Many tourists who went to the Sundarbans recently have seen tigers, as their posts on social media show. But on that basis we cannot say the number has increased. We need scientific data. If we can start this year, we may be able to give another result in 2024, if not 2023, and say specifically whether the number has risen or fallen. We hope it may have risen, but we cannot say until the study is done."

In 2010 a declaration to speed up tiger conservation was drawn up at a summit of the heads of government of 13 tiger-range countries in St Petersburg, Russia. In line with it, World Tiger Day is observed every year on 29 July. According to World Wildlife figures, however, tigers have become locally extinct in three of those 13 countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam.

Although the day is observed worldwide on 29 July, it is marked with particular importance in countries where tigers survive in the wild. This year's theme is "Tigers are our pride, protecting them is everyone's duty". The Forest Department organised a central event in Dhaka, and four separate events were held at field level in Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat districts.

To stop tiger killing, Section 36 of the Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012 sets a minimum of two years and a maximum of seven years in prison for killing a tiger, along with a fine of Tk 1 lakh to Tk 10 lakh. A repeat offence can bring up to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to Tk 15 lakh. Under Section 36, killing a tiger is treated as a non-bailable offence. A Bangladesh Tiger Action Plan (2018–2027) has also been drawn up.

In 2011 Bangladesh and India signed a memorandum of understanding and a protocol on conserving Sundarbans tigers, stopping the trafficking of tigers and prey animals, and monitoring. To allow tigers and other wildlife to roam and breed freely, 52 percent of the Sundarbans has been declared protected. Police, RAB, the Coast Guard and the river police are also working with the Forest Department to prevent the hunting of tigers and other wildlife.

Field-level forest workers protect the Sundarbans and its tigers at the risk of their lives, battling natural disasters and forest pirates. In view of this, the government pays them a 30 percent risk allowance. Compensation for people killed or seriously injured in tiger attacks has also been raised to reduce tiger-human conflict. Under the Compensation for Loss of Life and Property from Wildlife Attacks Rules, 2021, the family of a person killed now receives Tk 3 lakh and the family of an injured person up to Tk 1 lakh.

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