Bengal tigers are to be separated from humans by a river, with the hope that it will limit the number being killed.

Credit: AFP

Related articles

• 84 rare Siberian tigers born in captivity
• Conservationists miss the mark
• The 'Indiana Jones' of conservation
• Borneo leopard is a new species
• Illegal wildlife trade takes heavy toll in Vietnam

DHAKA, 6 July 2006 - Bangladesh plans to clear silt from three rivers in the Sunderbans to allow water to flow freely again and form a "natural barrier" to prevent tigers from entering areas where humans live, officials said on Wednesday.

The rivers had plenty of water in the early 1990s "but they have silted up, enabling tigers to enter human habitats on the fringes of the forest," said Sheikh Mizanur Rahman, conservator of the Sunderbans forest.

Farmers have been killing the tigers as they make forays into villages and eat cows, goats and other domestic animals.

"The government will excavate the Bhola, Aruerber and Khomra rivers this year so these rivers are restored with enough tidal waters and work as natural barriers to stop tigers entering human habitats," Rahman said.

An estimated 668 royal Bengal tigers live in the Sunderbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and a U.N. heritage site that stretches along South Asia's eastern coast.

Authorities say the big cats are on the brink of extinction worldwide because of poachers who kill tigers for their pelts and bones which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Experts estimate just 5,000 to 6,000 royal Bengal tigers are left in the world, down from about 100,000 in 1900.
Rahman said restoring the rivers would also ensure enough water supply for the tigers.

"The excavation of the rivers has become essential for conservation of the tigers. It will be like giving nature back to them," he said.