Mongla, Bagerhat June 14 (V7N) – Forest guards in the Sundarbans have seized a total of 135 deer hunting traps during separate anti-poaching raids conducted inside the forest on Friday afternoon. The seized traps were subsequently destroyed by burning.

Surjit Chowdhury, Dhangmari Station Officer of Chandpai Range (Mongla) within the Sundarbans East Forest Division, reported that on Friday afternoon, acting on a secret tip-off, forest guards conducted a foot patrol in the canal adjacent to Hular Bharani inside the Dhangmari forest area. During this operation, they discovered and seized 82 "mala" (round) traps, specifically designed for deer hunting.

Earlier on Friday morning, another team of forest guards conducted a separate raid in the area adjacent to Suryajmukhi Canal of the Nandawala patrol outpost, where they seized an additional 53 "mala" traps.

These seizures follow a larger operation earlier in the week. On Tuesday, forest guards had already seized a significant cache of 450 "garland traps" that had been set by deer poachers in the forest on the north side of the Chota Sinduk Baria Canal in Shapla Camp, under Supati Station.

The continuous discovery of these traps highlights the ongoing threat of poaching to the wildlife, particularly deer, within the fragile ecosystem of the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to diverse flora and fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger. Forest department officials reiterated their commitment to intensifying efforts to combat poaching and protect the forest's biodiversity.

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