Bangladesh Plans Tiger Translocation to Chittagong Hill Tracts as Sundarbans Risk Grows

Bangladesh is considering translocating tigers from the Sundarbans to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where no confirmed tiger population currently exists, as climate change intensifies threats to the mangrove habitat. The country's 125 tigers, recorded in a 2024 census, are entirely confined to the Sundarbans — a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with India.

Bangladesh's Forest Department has identified approximately 100 square kilometres of high-quality forest in the Kasalong area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts as a potential tiger relocation site. The area borders Dampa Tiger Reserve in India's Mizoram. Pugmark evidence from around four years ago suggested sporadic tiger presence, and camera traps have documented dholes, clouded leopards, leopards, bears, and sambar deer. Officials say the Chittagong forests could also facilitate cross-border wildlife connectivity with India.

The Bangladesh government's stated target is to grow the national tiger population from 125 to between 160 and 200 individuals by 2035. However, conservationists including India's leading tiger expert Ullas Karanth warn that most tiger translocation projects have failed and are extremely expensive. They argue that protecting the Sundarbans and allowing natural recolonisation from India's northeast may be more sustainable than active relocation.

The Sundarbans faces compounding threats including rising sea levels, shrinking prey populations, pollution, and loss of Sundari trees — the dominant mangrove species from which the forest takes its name. Bangladesh has constructed earthen mounds called killas to provide tigers with high ground during floods, and plans to build around 10 more after the monsoon season. Any translocation plan will require detailed feasibility studies and community consultation in a region with a history of tribal habitation.

Key figure — 125 tigers in Bangladesh (2024 census)