Eleven of the 14 deer at Tengragiri Eco Park in Taltali, Barguna, have disappeared, leaving only three. The Forest Department cannot say where they went or how they were lost, and the enclosure built to protect them lies broken.
The park was set up in Sonakata union of Taltali at a cost of Tk 2.64 crore in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 fiscal years under an eco-tourism programme. It began with 14 deer and other wildlife.
Local people blame a shortage of food, lax supervision by the Forest Department and the lack of effective action against poachers. But the department has not been able to confirm whether the deer died, were moved or were lost some other way.
Shahriar Kamal, an NGO official visiting from Dhaka, said he waited almost all day without seeing a single deer and found the enclosures in disrepair. Local residents Joynal Abedin, Mizanur Rahman and Akkas Ali said tourists were leaving disappointed and far fewer now came.
Rahimul Islam Jumel, officer of the Chhakina beat in the Taltali range, said the broken enclosure had been reported to higher authorities and he hoped repairs would come soon. Asked why the deer numbers had fallen, Taltali range officer Md Ziaul Islam could give no specific information or explanation.
The broken enclosure raises the question of how well wildlife is protected in this coastal forest. The report is by Ittefaq's Barguna correspondent.
Photo: The entrance of Tengragiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Miraz Al Bashar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Ittefaq
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