Planned safari park threatens forest reserve in Bangladesh

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Despite huge protests, the Bangladesh Forest Department has begun implementing a project for a new safari park, potentially endangering the rich biodiversity of the Lathitila forest.

Lathitila is a forest on an area of over 5,100 acres in the Moulvibazar district, and the proposed safari park will be set up on 270 acres there. According to official data, the park will occupy an area containing 209 species of animals and 603 species of plants.

At least 10,000 trees would be cut down, the character of the evergreen forest would change, and animals and birds living there would lose their habitat, experts and rights activists said in their comments coinciding with Forests Week, which runs from March 21 to 26.

The park will be the third safari park in Bangladesh. The Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry has already approved the master plan for the Lathitila safari park project worth 8.5 billion Taka ($98.5 million). Of the total budget, about 1.8 billion Taka ($20.8 million) will be allocated for purchasing animals, including from abroad.

The safari park is expected to see around 1 million visitors annually, according to its feasibility report.

However, the Environment Ministry has repeatedly claimed that the project will not affect biodiversity, the forest will be protected from illegal occupation and tourists will be able to view a variety of domestic and foreign animals.

- Forest, biodiversity, ecology to face challenges

Pavel Partha, an ecology and biodiversity conservation researcher, told Anadolu Agency that the Dulahazara Safari Park in Cox’s Bazar is nothing but a zoo as it is rather run like that, while the second one in Gazipur has already endured the loss of at least 33 animals in a month due to poor management.

“We need public documentation and analysis of fauna and flora diversity, forest succession, ecosystem and characteristics of nearby rivers and waterfalls to take on any major project in a natural forest. But we don’t have public documentation on the Lathitila forest reserve,” he said.

“We had a negative experience over the establishment of the largest safari park in Bangladesh in the Sal forest of Gazipur, a tropical moist deciduous forest. It directly affected the Sal forest, its habitat and ecosystem.”

For fair survival, animals need to adjust or adopt to the forest or the safari park’s natural food chain and ecosystem, as captive animals or those in a safari park concept could not survive only on supplied foods, which was witnessed in the major safari park in Gazipur, he said.

“I fear a similar fate for the proposed safari park in Lathitila.”

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Md. Yunus Ali, former chief conservator of forests in Bangladesh, questioned why we should bring in animals from a dissimilar ecosystem like Africa.

“The Sal forest in Gazipur is a tropical moist deciduous forest. Such a forest environment is friendly for bacteria growth. And we know bacterial infection was among the major causes of death of the African animals in Gazipur Safari Park, which is situated in the Sal forest.”

“I fear a worse situation for the proposed safari park in Lathitila. It is not acceptable to bring animals like wildcats, lions and zebras to a different ecosystem.”

These are political decisions and they are not good for our biodiversity, Ali added.

“We often bring birds from other countries to entertain some influential officials or to release them in safari parks and zoos, and do not follow quarantine periods, which could be a major harm for the local biodiversity,” he said.

Both experts said there is a fundamental flaw in safari park management in Bangladesh.

- Forest department claims no harm, experts disagree

“We conducted all the necessary flora and fauna documentation and study on forest succession. The feasibility study allowed for setting up the safari park on some 270 acres of land in the forest area,” Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, an official with the Moulvibazar Forest Department said.

The safari park will mostly use the forest land occupied by locals and will reclaim it, he said.

He believes that the African animals can survive in Bangladesh, as both countries have tropical weather patterns.

Narayan Saha, a professor of forestry and environmental sciences at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, however, categorically criticized the government’s decision, saying: “It was a bad idea to set up a safari park in a small reserved forest enriched with biodiversity.”

He added that reclaiming forest land from villagers or locals who have long lived there will create another problem of displacement. “So we have to ensure the people’s safe relocation first,” he said.

“It’s a sign of destroying forests and trees, and it would be a challenge for the flora and fauna and animals to survive in the changing conditions. We have to protect the natural forests, so natural forests hold rich biodiversity.”