Nijhum Dwip
What to do with the deer?
Concern over the Nijhum Dwip deer of Mr Sikander Ahmed (Daily Star, 6th August) and many others, who had given their opinion earlier on the issue is genuine. Their suggestions regarding these deer are most plausible but perhaps impractical in the present context of both the lack of long term planning and wildlife management resources of the government Forest Department (FD) and the existing meagre forest resources of the country. We must remember that man-made problems cannot be solved by the nature itself rather to be done away by ourselves. In the first place FD had no clue what would they do with the surplus deer of the Nijhum Dwip when they start producing offspring at an unprecedented rate in the absence of top carnivores -- the Bengal Tiger, Leopard [in Bangladesh] and/or Asiatic Lion [in Gir forest, Gujarat in India] -- that naturally keep deer population under control. We must not dream that man produced excess deer from Nijhum Dwip would survive in any forest from where all species of deer -- such as Barasinga or swamp deer, Sambar, Hog deer, Chital or spotted deer and barking deer or Muntjac -- have already been decimated by the human folk. Possibly within first few days of their introduction to any of the existing forests in the larger Chittagong Hill Tracts they would be killed by hundreds of gun toting tribals, plain-land Bengalis settled there and even our forces with arms. They may have their field days of sport hunting the deer. Some officials and local elite are likely to find great pleasure in hunting these poor deer. Even if not killed by hunters the deer would definitely leave the forest and venture into the nearby jhum rice and other crops fields. Then they are likely to be poisoned by the locals. Also one should remember that the character of all forests in Bangladesh, barring possibly the Sundarbans, has changed due to the faulty practice of the government Forest Department, Jhum cultivation by the ethnic people and log removal by lumber poachers and illegal timber merchants. We have now more man-made forests than natural forests. But carrying capacity of all these forests has been reduced to bare minimum that cannot support large population of herbivores. Question of returning Nijhum Dwip deer to the Sundarbans does not arise because Bengal Tiger, Chital, Rhesus Macaque and Wild Boar are living in such a harmony that there is no scope for any reintroduction of a new population of an existing animal species. Sundarbans ecosystem is operating efficiently for the past couple of 1000 years in spite of massive human interference during the past half a century or so. Moreover, nobody knows what kind of disease Nijhum Dwip deer will carry and introduce the same to the Sundarbans. Also these deer have no fear of predator, as they have never seen one, and human being. Both tiger and people will over kill them. Our FD is ill equipped to handle massive capture, marking and transporting of most animals to a new location. Forestry policy and FD personnel seem to be geared for cutting trees and giving revenue to the government exchequer and, allegedly stashing away some amount possibly to their own coffer. This department usually takes up short or long term projects either from the point of view of getting additional finance or creating more posts for absorbing manpower from various projects or new recruits. Earlier someone suggested that Bengal Tiger should be introduced in and around Nijhum Dwip to control the deer population. It will be a murderous decision. Tigers will possibly not kill the deer but cattle and human being finding it is easer than deer-hunt. Government has many options to handle the deer problem it has created by its own forest department. First and foremost is that the surplus deer population must be removed from the Dwip area. To do this government can outright sell the additional numbers through public auction. In the absence of a separate Wildlife Department and allegation of questionable transparencies in forest resources disposal the government can organise the auction through a committee formed with representatives of the FD, wildlife advisory board and a few concerned citizens, including scientists and media personalities, so that the process becomes transparent and open. Before selling the deer their health to be checked by proper veterinarians who could determine whether these are fit for human consumption. People buying these can keep them as pet, start their own deer breeding farm or consume the meat. The same committee can issue hunting permits just for killing a fixed number of male deer each having an antler size of at least 20 inches in length, or the size and the number to be determined by scientists to be appointed by this committee. Each hunting permit should be valued at taka one lac or more. After securing a permit a hunter must go to the FD to make arrangements for going on a hunt within a stipulated period and in specified block or patch of forest for which FD must provide a trained guide or a Shikari at a predetermined price. The hunter to be given a fixed time table to go for the hunt is to bear all expenses for taking the guide and returning him back to the forest office. If a hunter fails to hunt his deer within the fixed time his permit will be cancelled and no money returned. The above committee can also start a deer breeding farm involving islanders and others living along the borders of the forests with a view to marketing the meat through reputed supermarket chains in the country and leather and antlers through renowned outlets. Or exporting both to suitable destinations. This can also generate an alternative livelihood for the low income people living in the buffer zone of various forests. If above programmes cannot be taken up now government may take up a temporary programme of making all subadults and adult males neutered through a mass capture programme involving the services of the wildlife biologists and the veterinarians of the animal husbandry department. This will stop further proliferation or there will be a zero growth at least for few years when government can chalk out a long term solution to the problem through creation of a new Wildlife Department. To handle nature delicately government must think of starting a new Department of Wildlife to handle all problems related to it and saving the wildlife wealth of the country in a sustainable manner through public awareness campaigns and loose partnerships with the stake holders unlike the existing forest department mandated to cut and, often, plant trees.
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