"The last of the Tigers"

I am writing to address some important issues raised in the above piece published in TDS on March 23, 2016. The writer raises several important issues concerning the importance of protecting the tigers in the Sundarbans. Deforestation, climate change and hunting the tigers' prey, e.g. deer, have had a deleterious effect on tiger population. Criminals also hunt tigers to sell the body parts for medicinal uses and trophies.  

However, I do not agree with the writer's opinion that the efforts by USAID funded Wild Team to raise awareness about preserving tigers is incompetent. In fact, USAID's Bengal Tiger Conservation Activity (Bagh) has a multifaceted approach to assist in the preservation of the tigers. The Bagh Project has engaged in serious research on the tigers in the Sundarbans, their prey and their environment. This work is carried out in collaboration with Bangladesh's Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Smithsonian Institution in the US and it forms a scientific basis for efforts to increase the tiger population. Bagh works with the Forest Department in SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) patrolling to reduce illicit trafficking, it has trained local villagers on how to avoid human-tiger conflict and it is actively engaged in developing alternative livelihoods for those that live on the periphery of the Sundarbans with a view to preserving the natural state of the mangrove forests. Our objective is to ensure that our children and their children live in a world where the tiger roams free in its natural habitat. Too many species have passed into extinction; it would be a tragedy of enormous importance if we were to lose this noble animal.  

Gary F. Collins
Chief of Party, USAID's Bagh Activity