By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka

Work for census of tiger population in the world’s biggest mangrove Sundarbans applying camera-trapped method has ended and report on findings of census is expected to be disclosed by the end of this month.
The last census was done in 2004 jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bangladesh forest department applying pug mark method which counted 440 tigers in the Sundarbans.
But it was a wrong method to ascertain the real number of tigers in the forest, said Zahedul Kabir, who is the divisional forest officer in charge of wildlife management and nature conservation department of
Sundarbans forest division.
Camera-trapping is internationally recognised scientific method used in counting the number of tigers of the forest correctly, Kabir said.
A total of 30 men of the forest department were engaged to carry out the census works through camera-trapped method in the parts of the Sundarbans where movement of tigers is more frequent than other parts.
According to Kamal uddin Ahmed, assistant conservator of forests, 50 poachers of tigers and deer have been identified by the forest department.
The forest department always keeps watch on movement of these listed poachers so that they do not get any scope to kill tigers and deer.
He said 14 tigers were beaten to death by local people in the last 15 years while poachers killed four tigers during the same period.
Besides, seven tigers died being victims of devastating cyclonic storms Sidr and Aila.