Royal Bengal tigers

I saw a newspaper report recently that within 50 years the Royal Bengal tigers will be extinct specially from Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans, world's largest mangrove forest. Climate change and sea level rising are the main reasons behind the loss of the tigers' habitat.

Losing the big cats from Bangladesh may not be touching deeply the minds of the people. But it must mean a lot about eco-friendly nature, fresh water, healthy foods, medicinal plants and so on. Losing Bengal tigers means losing the Sundarbans which benefits us in many ways. Thousands of people depend on the Sundarbans directly or indirectly. If this forest is destroyed then our ecosystem will face devastation. We also know that the Royal Bengal tiger is our national animal. So its existence is significant to us. The tigers are part of our heritage. In addition, the Sundarbans is one of the few places tourists from abroad visit every year.

The concerned authority as well as people from all walks can contribute to saving Bengal tigers. The government should take steps towards making people aware of climate change, nature, tigers etc.

We all should think about preserving environment besides industrial development in the region.

Md. Ariful Islam

University of Barisal

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