*5.1.1 Hunting and poaching*

Hunting and poaching is one of the major threats for wildlife species in Bangladesh especially for the game species. Wild animals are hunted illegally either for local consumption for meat and trophies or for international trade. Poachers usually target animals that are in high demand in illegal market. Tigers are killed for the hide as well as other body parts to be used in traditional Chinese medicine. Other smaller cats are also poached for their hides. Deer are hunted for meat and skin, whereas elephants are killed for the ivory. Turtles and tortoises are poached for meat and demand in pet markets. Many birds like hill myna, parrots, and sunbirds have a great demand in illegal pet markets. Python skin and snake venom have also high demand in illegal markets [4, 30, 31].

## *5.1.2 Local and international trade*

Illegal wildlife trade is one of the most serious threats to wild animals in the region, and Bangladesh is no exception. For its geographic location, being conveniently located between India and Myanmar, Bangladesh is being used as a source of animals as well as the transit route of international wildlife trade. Wildlife species are killed for their meat, skins, bones, fur, and other body parts which are used for traditional medicine, clothing, jewelry, and trophy and also for unconventional exotic food. These animal products have demands mostly in the international illegal market, and their destination is the traditional Chinese medicine market [32].

While wildlife poaching and trafficking pose a great threat to the flagship species of the country but the status of the lesser known species (e.g., golden jackal, civets, mongoose, and small cats), the latest situation is currently unknown. These animals play a vital role in the ecosystem, and if this process continues, the conservation of mammalian species of the country would be a huge challenge [32].

#### *5.1.3 Local consumption*

There are at least 29 ethnic communities in Bangladesh, and most of them find their protein source from wild animals. These ethnic communities are spread over the country, but most of them inhabit in the southeastern and northeastern part of Bangladesh. Ethnic communities usually hunt wild animals such as wild boar, barking deer, Indian hare, small cats, primates, mongoose, civets, squirrels, rats, bats, turtles and tortoises, snakes, and frogs [32].

#### *5.1.4 Use of live animals*

Some of the wildlife species have growing demand as pet or zoo animals in both local and international markets. Wildlife traders illegally collect the harvested animals from the poachers. Keeping wild animals in private collection or establishment of mini zoo is not legal in Bangladesh according to the existing laws, but many private collections are established in several parts of the country. Most commonly found animals of these private collections include but not limited to hoolock gibbon, rhesus macaque, pig-tailed macaque, Assamese macaque, slow loris, spotted deer, barking deer, marbled cat, fishing cat, civet, large birds, pythons, cobras, turtles, and tortoises. This is a total violation of the Bangladesh Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012, as most of these animals are protected by the current laws of the country [4, 32].

#### *5.1.5 Human-wildlife conflict*

Human-wildlife conflict is currently a burning issue as it influences a group of people against wild animals and also against the people who want to conserve and restore wildlife [33]. The growing human population of Bangladesh is forcing rapid urbanization and habitat loss for the wildlife and also forcing wild animals to live in close proximity to humans. Many wildlife species of Bangladesh such as Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, leopard, fishing cat, golden cat, jungle cat, civets, etc. are facing various threats of extinction due to human-wildlife conflict [30, 31].

#### *5.1.6 Moving vehicle as a growing threat*

Roads through the natural habitats are intrusion to the wildlife habitats which adversely affect the wild animals. Effect of road ranges from habitat loss and fragmentation to the distribution pattern [34] of the animals, movement and reproductive behavior [35], and direct mortality by the moving vehicles [36, 37]. In Bangladesh, many forest areas have been bisected by roads, highways, and railway tracts which contribute negatively in losing biodiversity at a much faster rate. Nocturnal animals

**25**

**Figure 8.**

*Overall threat status on the vertebrate wildlife groups in Bangladesh.*

*Forest Biodiversity and Deforestation in Bangladesh: The Latest Update*

activities are interrupted by such unwise human activities [4].

**5.2 Habitat degradation and fragmentation**

are also harmed by the bright headlights at night and are often killed by the moving vehicle. Many threatened species are also killed by the vehicles on a regular basis.

especially for small forest patches like Satchari and Lawachara National Parks. These parks are critical habitats for critically endangered mammalian species like hoolock gibbon and other primates. With the growing tourist activities in the core of these critical habitats especially during winter season, the daily activity of wildlife activities is heavily impacted both diurnal and nocturnal species. The breeding

Excessive and uncontrolled tourism activities pose a great threat to wild animals

Habitat fragmentation and degradation are currently the most important factor

Timber harvest from the natural forests is currently banned in Bangladesh as a measure to restore country's forestland. But, timber extraction is still going on, in many cases with the support from corrupt forest managers. It is assumed that local timber merchants persuade unemployed poor people to take down the large-sized hard wood trees from the forests and sell it to the local market. In many of this forestland, the upper canopy is not connected, and forests are fragmented [15]. Distant canopy cover creates problem to highly arboreal mammals, e.g., hoolock

for the biodiversity loss in Bangladesh. With the ever-growing human population in the country and coupled up with other reasons, wildlife habitats are being destroyed and fragmented in an alarming rate [5, 10, 15], and as such, different vertebrate wildlife groups face conservation threats at various levels (**Figure 8**). We would like to summarize the major reasons of habitat degradation and fragmenta-

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86242*

*5.1.7 Tourist pressure*

tion in a very brief way.

*5.2.1 Illegal timber extraction*

are also harmed by the bright headlights at night and are often killed by the moving vehicle. Many threatened species are also killed by the vehicles on a regular basis.
