Poachers still prey on Sundarbans deer
Deer poaching continues in the Sundarbans despite a blanket ban on forest entry, highlighting the persistence of wildlife trafficking networks operating in the world’s largest mangrove forest.
In the latest incident, the Bangladesh Coast Guard arrested a suspected poacher and recovered 30kg of venison during a raid in the Nolian area of Khulna’s Dakop upazila on 20 July.
Acting on a tip-off, Coast Guard personnel conducted the raid around 2:00pm near Nolian Closure Para under Dakop Police Station. They arrested Mehedi Hasan, 30, and seized the illegally obtained meat.
The Sundarbans, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, is home to a large population of spotted deer.
Herds are often seen grazing in open areas at tourist spots such as Kotka, Karamjal, Dubla Char, Hiron Point, Kochikhali, Supoti and Dhangmari.
However, illegal hunting continues to threaten the forest’s biodiversity despite intensified patrols by the Forest Department and other law enforcement agencies, a decline in forest piracy and the suspension of the traditional Rash Mela.
Environmentalists warn that unchecked poaching could disrupt the ecological balance of the Sundarbans. They say stronger enforcement must be accompanied by community participation and technology-based surveillance to curb wildlife crime.
According to Forest Department data, the Sundarbans East and West divisions recovered about 3.45 tonnes of venison and arrested 249 people in connection with poaching and wildlife trafficking over the past three fiscal years.
The Coast Guard, Rapid Action Battalion and police have also conducted regular anti-poaching operations alongside the Forest Department.
Thousands of feet of traps removed
In the Sundarbans East Division, officials recovered 395kg of venison, filed 27 cases and arrested 44 people in the 2023-24 fiscal year. They also removed 4,860 feet of wire traps.
In 2024-25, authorities seized 793kg of venison, dismantled 24,648 feet of traps, filed 37 cases and arrested 35 suspects.
So far in the 2025-26 fiscal year, the division has recovered 249.5kg of venison, removed 120,883 feet of traps, filed 35 cases and arrested 74 people.
Divisional Forest Officer Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said the sharp increase in recovered traps reflected the scale of illegal hunting inside the forest.
The Sundarbans West Division also recorded significant seizures.
Divisional Forest Officer AZM Hasanur Rahman said officials recovered 514kg of venison in 2023-24, along with deer skins, heads, legs and one carcass.
The largest seizure was recorded in 2024-25, when authorities recovered 931.7kg of venison, several skins and heads, and three deer carcasses.
So far in 2025-26, officials have seized 571kg of venison and hunting equipment and arrested 21 suspects. Deer skins, heads, legs and another carcass were also recovered.
Deer population rises despite poaching
Despite continued poaching, surveys indicate that the deer population in the Sundarbans has increased over the past two decades.
An IUCN survey conducted in December 2023 estimated that the forest was home to 136,604 deer, up from around 83,000 in 2004-an increase of more than 53,600.
Local residents said many poachers came from villages bordering the forest. They typically use wire snares or firearms to hunt spotted and barking deer before transporting the meat, antlers and other body parts to nearby markets.
Although law enforcement agencies regularly arrest suspected poachers, officials acknowledge that dismantling organised trafficking networks will require stronger surveillance, effective prosecution and sustained engagement with forest-dependent communities.
