Even if we’ve never been anywhere near their habitats, we can appreciate the majesty of wild and exotic animals such as elephants, gorillas, and tigers.
And while it’s sad that many of the animals that fascinate and inspire us are endangered, that also makes us take how precious they are more seriously. Naturally, this means that most of us have no patience for wildlife poachers and any time they fail to to rob the world of another majestic animal, it’s a cause for celebration.
RELATED STORIES
Of course, that’s not always how it works so if we can’t prevent them from harming vulnerable animal populations, we can at least take solace in times when they’re brought to justice .
And that’s what makes the recent arrest of a particularly notorious poacher so significant to us.
For the past 20 years, 50-year-old Habib Talukder has proved a major problem for forest officials in the Sharankhola region of Bangladesh.
According to The Dhaka Tribune , he has claimed responsibility for the deaths of at least 70 tigers in that time.
Although it’s unclear when he was added to the most wanted list for both police and the Forest Department, statements from the Sharankhola police made it clear they had been looking for him for a long time.
Somehow, he had always found his way back into the protected forests of the Sundarbans no matter how much heat he had brought on himself.
As Abdul Mannan of the Sharankhola police told The Dhaka Tribune , “He secretly entered the Sundarbans and hunted wild animals despite being banned from entering the forest long ago. He has been carrying out these criminal activities even though there are multiple cases against him… some powerful gangs are involved in this.”
But during the early hours of May 29, it seemed that Talukder’s luck had finally run out.
Acting on a tip, Sharankhola police tracked him down to Madhya Sonatola village, where he was arrested, arraigned, and jailed by that afternoon.
Forest conservation officer Joynal Abedin said he had confessed to the slayings of 70 tigers and Talukder now stands accused in nine separate cases regarding “forest crimes.”
His arrest comes at a time of some encouraging recovery for Royal Bengal tigers in the Bangladesh section of the Sundarbans region, which borders on India’s West Bengal state.
Although The Dhaka Tribune reported that 38 tigers had died in that region between 2001 and 2020, their overall numbers have also increased from 106 in 2015 to 114 in 2018.
h/t: The Dhaka Tribune
