Tigers eating crabs, lizards as deer fall short in Sundarbans

Tigers’ favorite prey is deer and next wild boar. But in the Sundarbans, samples of lizard, crab and fishes are found in tigers’ diet. Besides, due to eating such species substances of leaves and clay also found in their food habit.

A group of researchers published a report revealing the information.

The research team comprised of three professors of Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka University and Kent University of UK published the report based on their findings.

Tigers are eating clay 

According to the report, 89 per cent of tiger’s diet came from deer and wild boar. Fish, crabs and lizards have been added in the prey list occupying the rest 11 per cent. Besides, huge amount of clay has been also found in tiger stomach.

The researchers think, while having aquatic species tigers consumed the earthen. Eating such sustenance shows food scarcity apparently. They claimed the events very rare.

114 tigers in Sundarbans

A survey of the forestry department in 2019 said, there were likely to living 264 tigers as per the volume of the world’s largest mangrove forest. However, another team of researchers said, there are approximately 114 tigers in the forest testing 512 excretion. Another survey accounts about 1 lakh 20 thousand deer in the forest.

Survey says, the amount of sanctuary area in the Sundarbans is above 3 lakh 17 thousand 950 hectares. 

Urge made to increase deer for tigers

Professor Anwarl Islam of Zoology department of Dhaka University says, no tiger around the world eat such food. Tigers need fleshy animals as their prey. So, there is no alternative to increase deer for tiger’s conservation.

Forest officer Mihir Kumar Dey said, “There is no food crisis in the Sundarbans. Number of tigers can be doubled. And for that number of deer has to be increased. We are working on that.”

Plan to enhance food

Government has taken a 10-year plan to increase tigers. Another forest official Rezaul Karim said, efforts have been taken to increase deer and wild boar apart from developing the tigers’ habitats. Besides, Radio GPS are being set at tigers’ neck.