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India, Bangladesh join hands for joint tiger census in Sunderbans
Kolkata, July 30: To scientifically ascertain the actual number of Royal Bengal tigers in the Sunderbans, India and Bangladesh are working towards undertaking a joint tiger census in the world`s largest mangrove.
Kolkata, July 30: To scientifically ascertain the actual number of Royal Bengal tigers in the Sunderbans, India and Bangladesh are working towards undertaking a joint tiger census in the world's largest mangrove.
The two governments, which are yet to give their final approval to the ambitious project in the swampy jungles spread across 4262 sq km area in both countries, have principally agreed on the need for joint management of the Sunderbans.
Sunderban biosphere reserve director Atanu Raha told reporters that the proposal was mooted at an UNDP-sponsored exchange programme in late 2002 where forest officials of both countries felt the need to collaborate in managing 'world heritage ecosystem' as also the tiger census.
"A project report for joint management of Sunderbans has been prepared by officials of both countries and submitted to the UNDP. Among other things, it proposes simultaneous tiger census in both the Indian and Bangladeshi portions of Sunderbans," Raha said.
The need for a joint exercise was felt since the Deltaic forests in the Bay of Bengal constituted a singular ecosystem without barriers. The wild cats keep moving from the Bangladeshi to the Indian terrains and vice-versa.
"This means that unless the tiger headcount is done in the entire forest simultaneously, there is every possibility of overlapping. This does not make for very authentic data," Raha said.
Bureau Report
The two governments, which are yet to give their final approval to the ambitious project in the swampy jungles spread across 4262 sq km area in both countries, have principally agreed on the need for joint management of the Sunderbans.
Sunderban biosphere reserve director Atanu Raha told reporters that the proposal was mooted at an UNDP-sponsored exchange programme in late 2002 where forest officials of both countries felt the need to collaborate in managing 'world heritage ecosystem' as also the tiger census.
"A project report for joint management of Sunderbans has been prepared by officials of both countries and submitted to the UNDP. Among other things, it proposes simultaneous tiger census in both the Indian and Bangladeshi portions of Sunderbans," Raha said.
The need for a joint exercise was felt since the Deltaic forests in the Bay of Bengal constituted a singular ecosystem without barriers. The wild cats keep moving from the Bangladeshi to the Indian terrains and vice-versa.
"This means that unless the tiger headcount is done in the entire forest simultaneously, there is every possibility of overlapping. This does not make for very authentic data," Raha said.
Bureau Report