Wildlife rescue centre

TEACHERS and students of the Zoology Department of Jahangirnagar University have set up a centre for rescue of different species of birds, snakes and small animals. The centre has been functing from the autumn of 2004. The teachers and students of the university might have taken note of the coming of thousands of guest birds from the Siberian region during the pre-winter and winter months every year. The natural bounties in and around the campus of the University including hillocks, trees, water bodies have turned favourable for the birds and other animals. The visiting birds come from different countries and the mountain zones in the Himalayan range plus the polar areas. They migrate to escape from the bitter cold of winter when seas, rivers and other water bodies there freeze and the environment turns inhospitable. Migratory birds enjoying the winter weather conditions here also have plenty of supply of feed in lakes, haors, baors and the coastline. The guest birds, mostly nocturnal, use safe places in Bangladesh including the campus of the Jahangirnagar University as sanctuary during day hours.

The faculty members and students of zoology of the university deserve credit for setting up the Wildlife Rescue Centre. They have done all that was needed for creating a safe sanctuary for migratory birds and other animals in the centre. They have developed facilities for the guest birds and animals and have bought necessary inputs for the purpose by generating fund. They are reported to have not obtained any fund and equipment from the government or any bilateral and multilateral development partner. The conditions in the Rescue Centre are largely linked with the surrounding environment and precautions taken to ensure safety of the birds and animals. If the existing facilities at the centre are increased with investment and increased technical inputs, it may attract more wild guests and turn more attractive. While preserving the natural bounties like trees, lakes and hillocks which attract birds and other animals, the centre itself might be increased in size to accommodate more guest birds and animals.

In a way, the human beings, in a relatively small country like Bangladesh, compete with birds and animals - which look for safe sanctuaries - to have share of the common property resources like water bodies and forests which supply fishes, fruits, fuel wood and timber. Thus, safe sanctuaries for guest birds and animals should be expanded and protected in a planned way so that poor people living in and around those also benefit and on their own protect those. The natural bounties on the campus of the Jahangirnagar University and in other areas of the country including the Sunderbans forests have to be preserved. Cutting down of trees should be checked, the development of road networks, setting up of industrial units near those should be monitored by the appropriate agencies so that they do not disturb the wild guests. More of safe zones and rescue centres for birds and animals may be set up in different areas by taking lessons from the example created by zoology teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University.