Trapped Sundarbans tiger rescued, shifted to Khulna for treatment

Forest Department experts on Sunday rescued an adult male Royal Bengal Tiger that had been caught in a poachers’ snare inside the Sundarbans and shifted it to Khulna for urgent medical treatment.

The tiger was tranquilised around 2:30pm on Sunday and freed from the trap, which had tightly gripped its front left leg, causing visible injury. 

Officials believe the animal had been stuck in the snare for four to five days before it was rescued.

After being sedated, the tiger was placed in a cage and transported to the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department’s rescue centre in Khulna, where it is receiving treatment, including medication and saline. 

Further decisions on its release or continued care will be taken after a detailed health assessment.

The Forest Department received information on Saturday afternoon that a tiger had been trapped about half a kilometre from Sharki’s Canal in the Mongla area of the Sundarbans, in a snare set by deer poachers. 

Rescue preparations began immediately, and an expert team, including a veterinary surgeon, arrived from Dhaka on Sunday. 

Officials from the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Department in Khulna also joined the operation.

Md Azad Kabir, officer-in-charge of the Karamjal Wildlife Breeding Centre under the Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans East Forest Division, said the tiger appeared weak and unwell after the rescue. “It is being treated in Khulna. The next step will be decided based on its condition,” he said.

Earlier, local fishermen first spotted the tiger struggling in the trap near Boiragi Bari and alerted forest officials. 

The area was cordoned off, and members of the Village Tiger Response Team guarded the site overnight to prevent human interference.

Wildlife experts have warned that prolonged entrapment and cold weather may have caused severe stress to the animal, underlining once again the ongoing threat posed by poaching in the world’s largest mangrove forest.

According to Forest Department data, 125 tigers were recorded in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans in the latest camera trap survey conducted in October 2024.