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Chakma, S.; Jahid, M.; Shamsuddoha, M.; Rahman, M.A.; Kabir, M.J.; Ahsan, M.M.; Hossain, M.A.N.M.; Chowdhury, M.M.R.; Rahman, S.M.; Sharma, S.; Shrestha, M.; Aziz, M.A.; Chowdhury, M.A.H.; Ahmed, Z.U.; Collins, G.F.; Islam, M.A.
Status of tigers in the Satkhira Range of the Bangladesh Sundarbans
2017  Full Book

This report presents the results obtained from a camera-trapping survey that estimated density and population abundance of tigers (_Panthera tigris_) in the Satkhira Range of the Bangladesh Sundarbans. During the survey, the remotely triggered camera-traps were installed across the sample areas to obtain photographs of tigers between December 1, 2016 and March 15, 2017. Our _modus operandi_ was to use pairs of camera deployed in 290 separate camera stations with an average spacing of 1,635 meters between each camera station over two periods for a total of 102 days. We obtained 1,676 tiger images from 12,411 camera-trap nights by surveying 1850 km2 of forests in the Satkhira Range. From these tiger images, we identified 37 adult tigers, 2 cubs and 3 juveniles. The Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) analysis of these identified tiger individuals provided an overall density of 2.01 tigers/100 km2 and a population of 42 tigers (95% CI: 30-58) for the Satkhira Range of the Sundarbans. An additional analysis using data only from the middle portion of the Satkhira Range (where camera-trapping survey was conducted by the Forest Department; Dey et al. 2015) yielded a density of 2.83 tigers/100 km2. Although the overall density is relatively low, the estimated density from the overlapping area is slightly higher than the previous estimate of 2.77 tigers/km2 (Dey et al. 2015). Our results incidate relatively a higher abundance of tigers in the western portion of the Satkhira Range and an unusually much lower density in the eastern portion of the range, i.e., eastern part of the Arpangassia River which is adjacent to the Khulna Range. We therefore suggest a continuation of this camera trapping survey in the remaining areas of the Sundarbans which will give a complete scenario of tiger density and abundance for the Sundarbans of Bangladesh. We also suggest additional future research to determine the factors such as habitat quality and other potential covariates that may govern the differences in tiger densities across the Sundarbans. Finally, we suggest continuing SMART patrolling to best ensure that the tiger population can grow to a level that is sustainable and natural for its environment throughout the Sundarbans.

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