Hi, I am Samia Saif, a PhD student at the Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology (DICE) of the University of Kent under the supervision of Professor Douglas MacMillan and a Research Officer in the WildTeam in Bangladesh. In particular, I am studing Bengal Tigers.
Within the last 100 years, the tiger population has decreased 97% globally. Now there are only about 3,000 tigers left in the wild. In my home country Bangladesh, there is a forest called the Sundarbans, which is large enough to hold 300-500 tigers - this could be one of the largest tiger populations in the world. But recent surveys show a massive decline in the tiger abundance within the last 4 years.
We thought the reason behind the decline must be poaching as the poaching rate in all the other tiger range countries is quite high. However we didn’t know much at all about what was happening in Bangladesh. We need to learn more in order to better conserve this species.
To fill this knowledge gap, I am investigating the local use of tiger parts and poaching in the Sundarbans. This information will be used to develop a strategy to save the tigers from the snares of the poachers here. I know there's a long road ahead, but I'm optimistic for the future of tigers in Bangladesh.
Within the last 100 years, the tiger population has decreased 97% globally. Now there are only about 3,000 tigers left in the wild. In my home country Bangladesh, there is a forest called the Sundarbans, which is large enough to hold 300-500 tigers - this could be one of the largest tiger populations in the world. But recent surveys show a massive decline in the tiger abundance within the last 4 years.
We thought the reason behind the decline must be poaching as the poaching rate in all the other tiger range countries is quite high. However we didn’t know much at all about what was happening in Bangladesh. We need to learn more in order to better conserve this species.
To fill this knowledge gap, I am investigating the local use of tiger parts and poaching in the Sundarbans. This information will be used to develop a strategy to save the tigers from the snares of the poachers here. I know there's a long road ahead, but I'm optimistic for the future of tigers in Bangladesh.
