. Earth Science News .
FLORA AND FAUNA
Bangladesh doubles wildlife sanctuary to save its tigers
by Staff Writers
Dhaka (AFP) Aug 1, 2017


Bangladesh has more than doubled the size of the wildlife sanctuary in the world's largest mangrove forest to try to protect endangered Bengal tigers whose numbers have fallen sharply, officials said Tuesday.

More than half, or 52 percent, of the 6,017 square kilometre (2,325 square mile) Sundarbans -- one of the largest habitats of the tigers -- has been declared a sanctuary this week, said the government's chief forest conservator Shafiul Alam.

The Sundarbans, which also straddles parts of eastern India, is home to some rare animals including the Irrawaddy dolphins and the Bengal tigers, both declared endangered because of poaching and a loss of their habitat.

Previously the wildlife sanctuary was limited to 23 percent of the forest cover, and villagers and tourists had unrestricted access to the rest of the mangrove forest.

A 2015 survey found a dramatic decline in the numbers of the Bengal tiger -- 106 tigers, down from 440 during a 2004 count.

Monirul Khan, a tiger expert and zoology professor at Jahangirnagar University, said the decision would "surely help" increase the number of wild cats.

"This is a law. We appreciate it. If it's enforced effectively, I'm hopeful it will help the animals, especially the tigers, to grow in numbers," Khan said.

Amir Hossain, head of the government's Tiger Monitoring Project, said the expanded sanctuary "will be a safe roaming and breeding haven for the tigers".

"People's movement in the extended sanctuary will be restricted," he said. The nearly 350,000 locals who depend on the Sundarbans to collect fish, honey and logs will not be allowed to enter it, he said.

Despite this expansion, the wildlife and the delicate ecosystem of the Sundarbans still face an existential crisis from a controversial power plant at the edge of the forest which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government is moving ahead with, experts said.

A UN agency last October asked the government to halt construction of the 1,320-megawatt power plant, saying there was a high chance that pollution from it would "irreversibly damage" the Sundarbans.

"The government should rethink about the power plant as the extension of the sanctuary alone won't make much difference for the tigers and other Sundarbans animals," Khan said.

FLORA AND FAUNA
Ancient DNA to help solve mysteries of the Canaanites
Washington (UPI) Jul 27, 2017
The Bible mentions the Canaanites, a people of the Ancient Near East, several times. Archaeologists use the word to describe a group of settlers and pastoral nomads living among the southern Levant - in present day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan - during the late 2nd millennium BC. But exactly who they were, where they came from and what happened to them remain open ques ... read more

Related Links
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

FLORA AND FAUNA
Elephants, tigers kill one human a day in India

Tech advances will lead to MH370 discovery - Malaysia Airlines

New phase change mechanism could lead to new class of chemical vapor sensors

Robot finds possible melted fuel inside Fukushima reactor

FLORA AND FAUNA
Fundamental breakthrough in the future of designing materials

Multitasking monolayers

A new material emits white light when exposed to electricity

Writing with the electron beam: Now in silver

FLORA AND FAUNA
'Missing lead' in Flint water pipes confirms cause of crisis

Risky business for fish in oil-polluted reef waters

Japanese seaweed is welcome invader on US coasts: study

Climate change deepens threat to Pacific island wildlife

FLORA AND FAUNA
Methane-eating microbes may curb gas emissions as Antarctic ice sheets melt

A new model yields insights into glaciers' retreats and advances

NASA flights gauge summer sea ice melt in the Arctic

Thawing permafrost releases old greenhouse gas

FLORA AND FAUNA
Neolithic farmers practiced specialized methods of cattle farming

Disneyland China falls a-fowl of huge turkey leg demand

Adjusting fertilizers vital in claypan ag soils

One plant at a time is precise

FLORA AND FAUNA
Lightning kills 21 as India reels from floods

Taiwan hit by second storm after Nesat injures 111

Floods and power-outages as Taiwan battered by Typhoon Nesat

25 found dead as toll from Indian floods nears 120: officials

FLORA AND FAUNA
Senegal ruling party coalition claims election landslide

Adama Barrow: how do you solve a problem like The Gambia?

Mali broadcaster, govt critic, gets jail for 'incitement'

Two German UN peacekeepers killed in Mali helicopter crash

FLORA AND FAUNA
Cultural flexibility was key to surviving extreme dry periods in Africa

Shedding light deeper into the human brain

Identifying major transitions in human cultural evolution

How did early humans survive aridity and prolonged drought in Africa









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.