Bangladesh Major Hub for Tiger Poaching

The vast Sundarbans mangrove forest, which shares a border with Bangladesh and India, is home to one of the greatest populations of Bengal tigers in the world.

As part of a larger illicit wildlife trade estimated to be worth $20 billion yearly globally, black marketeers purchase their skin, bones, and meat.

Tiger parts from the Sundarbans have allegedly been sold to 15 countries, with India and China being the most popular destinations, according to research by the big cat conservation group Panthera and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Rob Pickles, a research co-author, stated in a statement that "Bangladesh plays a much more significant role in the illicit tiger trade than we previously realized."

Prior to a government crackdown that began in 2016, pirate organizations operating in the Sundarbans discovered a profitable trade in tiger poaching.

Official statistics indicate that hundreds of pirates were arrested, at least 117 pirates were killed by gunfire, and many more turned themselves in as part of a government amnesty.

However, according to Panthera's study, which was published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, more than 30 specialized tiger poaching syndicates and opportunistic poachers filled the void left by the crackdown.

The research revealed that traders conducted their business via their own logistical firms and occasionally used permits for lawful wildlife trafficking to mask their activity.

The study also discovered that domestic consumption of tiger parts has grown since the crackdown due to Bangladesh's booming economy, which was based in part on interviews with persons involved in the wildlife trade.

The survey found that wealthy local consumers were buying tiger parts for medications "as well as large ornamental items for display such as skulls and skins".

Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, the official Sundarbans conservator for Bangladesh, contested the results and asserted that the campaign had put an end to the illegal traffic.

The Bengal tiger population in the Sundarbans is being protected, he said.

In the last five years, no tigers have perished due to tiger-human conflict. The frequency of tigers has risen.

Just 114 Bengal tigers live in Bangladesh's portion of the Sundarbans, according to an official census published in 2019 — up slightly since a record low four years prior.

An updated population count is due to be published next year.

Poaching is the number one threat to tigers globally. According to Panthera, China is the biggest overall driver of demand, largely for the use of their body parts in traditional medicine.

Source: AFP