Forest Department
2 elephants that crossed from Myanmar rescued from Bay
Three days after they were noted to have crossed over into Bangladesh territory from Myanmar, two Asian elephants were rescued from the Bay of Bengal near Shahpari Island on Tuesday.
With the help of local fishermen and the authorities, the Forest Department was able to rescue the two elephants.
The elephants got down from the hills in the Bangladesh-Myanmar bordering areas and took the Naf river near Naitangpara in Teknaf Municipality last Saturday.
Also read: 2 elephants cross into Bangladesh through River Naf
They have followed the course of the Naf to reach the Bay of Bengal.
After several failed rescue attempts in the last three days, Syed Ashiq Ahmed, Teknaf Range Officer, prepared four boats and ran a successful rescue operation with the help of the fishermen in Shahpori island.
He said that the Forest Department had been trying their best to rescue the elephants since the first day but it became even harder on the third and fourth day as tidal water had accelerated their journey to the sea.
The two elephants have become weak due to lack of food for the last three days.
Also read: Garo man trampled to death by elephant in Sherpur
After the rescue, they were given adequate food.
The rescued elephants would be taken to the forest, said Teknaf Range Officer Syed Ashiq Ahmed.
The areas in Teknaf and Ukhia where the Rohingya refugee camps proliferated traverse a known elephant corridor. Human-elephant conflict has arisen as a result of the corridor being encroached upon. As a result, elephants have been facing food crises and often head down to the locality.
Fire breaks out in Sundarbans again
A fire broke out again near Daser Bharani under Sharankhola Range of the Sundarbans East Forest Division on Wednesday, a day after another fire raged through the area on Tuesday .
Residents of South Rajapur Char village noticed the fire and informed the Forest Department about the fire at around 7 am.
Forest Department and fire brigade members went to the spot at 10:30 am and sprayed water till 4pm to put out the blaze.
Sharankhola Fire Service Station officer-in-charge Abdus Sattar said, "We were able to put out the blaze in Daser Varani area of the Sundarbans after 2-day’s efforts. The fire broke out again in the same area on Wednesday.”
Also read: Sundarbans fire finally under control; probe body formed
Fire fighters will again start spraying water in the area on Thursday morning.
Head of the investigation committee and Assistant Forest Conservator (ACF) of Sharankhola Range Md. Joynal Abedin said there was no reason to worry. The fire has been controlled by pouring water as there was a small fire and smoke.
“This fire will be completely doused if we spray water continuously”.
He said the investigation committee has already begun work to determine the cause of the fire and the extent of damages.
Also read: Sundarbans fire proving difficult to put out
According to DFO Muhammad Belayet Hossain, the two-day fire burnt herbs of 1.31 acres of forest land in Das's Varani area of the Sundarbans on Monday and Tuesday. There was no damage to large trees or wildlife.
The forest area is being monitored by the forest department constantly, he said.
A fire, which had raged through Daser Bharani under Sharankhola Range of the Sundarbans East Forest Division for nearly 24 hours since Monday morning, was finally brought under control on Wednesday.
The Forest Department formed a three-member probe body with Mohammad Joynal, the chief conservator of forest of the Sharankhola Range, as its head to probe the fire incident.
Rare red coral kukri snake spotted again in Panchagarh
A rare red coral kukri snake was spotted again in Kajoldighi union of Panchagarh on Tuesday night.This time, it was rescued by a local name Md Shahiduzzaman Shahid.The snake was released at a suitable habitat at Natunhat area in Boda Upazila at the advice of Wildlife Inspector of Forest Department Abdullah Sadiq.
Also read: Tk75 crore snake venom seized in DhakaShahid said, "Many people gathered to see the snake at a neighbouring house when it entered there. I rescued it and kept it with me before handing it over to the experts."Wildlife photographer and conservationist Feroz Al Saba was among the three people who took the snake from Shahid and brought it to forest department officials.
He said, "This rare species of snake has been spotted in Panchagarh three times in a row."
Read Crocodile lays 44 eggs at Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre"As these snakes cannot bear sunlight, the rescued snake was released at a suitable place at night," he added.According to researchers, the mild venomous snake was seen no more than 30 times in the world.It has been spotted thrice in Bangladesh -- in Panchagarh on every occasion. The last time the snake was seen was in February this year. It was spotted the first time in the district last year.
Read Tortoise lays 21 eggs in Sundarban’s Karamjal
Tourism suspended in Sundarbans till Apr 15
The Forest Department has banned tourists from entering the Sundarbans till April 15 to tackle the second wave of Covid-19.
However, beekeepers and fishermen will be exempt from the ban.
Forest Conservator of Khulna Zone Moinuddin Khan confirmed this news to UNB.
He said that there are seven tourist spots in eastern and western zones of Sundarban. All of these will be closed effective immediately.
Also read: Covid 19: Movement of tourist ships on Teknaf-St Martin's route suspended
According to him, around 2 lakh domestic and foreign tourists visit the Sundarbans every year.
Although, tourists were suspended for the majority of 2020, records show around 1 lac 72 thousand tourists came to Sundarbans last year despite it.
Moinuddin stated that the reason behind not losing tourists despite suspension was that the main season to visit the Sundarbans is from Nov-Jan, it was when the Covid situation was comparatively back to normal.
Also read: Damage to int'l tourism in 2020 estimated at $1.3 trillion amid pandemic
Earlier on March 19 last year, the Sundarbans was declared closed to tourists.
Later, after almost seven months of suspension, instructions were given to conduct tourism in compliance with the hygiene rules in October.
Father-son arrested with deer meat in Bagerhat
Bagerhat Detective Branch seized 42kg deer meat and arrested a man and his son from Bogura chor area under Rampal Upazila on Tuesday for allegedly smuggling venison.
Sundarbans poacher held with tiger’s hide in Bagerhat
A Royal Bengal Tiger’s hide was seized from Sharonkhola of Bagerhat District Tuesday afternoon.
Forest Dept. seizes drone in Sundarbans
The Forest Department has seized a drone from Supati area while filming in Sundarbans.
Bhashan Char relocation: ‘Trees will fill places left vacant by Rohingyas’
Trees will fill places in Cox’s Bazar left vacant by Rohingyas who have and will set for Bhashan Char in phases.
Sundarbans set to reopen to tourists soon
After seven months of closure due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Forest Department is expected to reopen the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and a Unesco World Heritage Site, soon to tourists.
Tourists are expected to be allowed to enter the Sundarbans tourist spots from early November, authorities said.
Meanwhile, tour operators have already completed preparations after receiving the green signal.
7 deer poachers held in Sundarbans
Forest department officials arrested seven members of a deer poaching gang from the Sundarbans in Kochikhali Pakhshir Cahr area of Sharankhola upazila in the district early Saturday.