Satchhari National Park: Home to 200 species of birds set to get even bigger
Imagine spotting 200 species of birds, including the rare and endangered ones, all within a single kilometre.
Or picture walking a little deep into a forest, say a mere 3.5 hours away from the capital, and having the opportunity to come across the Asiatic wild dog, the endangered hillock gibbon, the Indian civet or maybe even the Asian Black bear.
Now imagine all of this and more jam packed into the smallest national park in the country - the Satchhari National Park, named after its famed seven streams.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
A stone's throw away from the capital - 180 kilometres to be exact - the park had often been overlooked due to its size.
But now, things are about to change. The Forest Department has proposed doubling the size of the Satchhari National Park by acquiring nearby lands, said officials.
They said the expansion of the park, located in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj and adjacent to neighbouring India's Tripura border, will help conserve rare and endangered wildlife species.
Welcoming the initiative, naturalists said the expansion will benefit the wildlife.
The size of the park is about 243 hectares, but now forest officials are mulling adding about 600 hectares of adjacent lands, raising the total to around 843 hectares.
The proposal is currently with the forest ministry.
The Sylhet Wildlife and Nature Conservation Centre submitted the proposal in this regard after verification from the forest department, with approval expected within this month or the next.
"We hope to get the approval this month or in July," Divisional Forest Officer Rezaul Karim Chowdhury told The Business Standard.
Satchhari National Park is a mixed-evergreen forest surrounded by seven streams and hillocks. There are nine tea estates around it – Satchhari Tea Garden to the west and Chaklapunji Tea Garden to the east.
According to the forest department, there are about 24 species of mammals in Satchhari. The park is one of the most suitable sanctuaries for the hillock gibbons, which is already missing from many parts of the world.
Other mammals include the endangered Maya deer, black squirrel, rabbit, wild boar, fox, fishing cat, wild cat, Indian civet, hedgehog and Yellow-throated marten.
Dhaka University teacher and also a naturalist Muntasir Akash said, "If the expansion initiative is implemented promptly, the habitat of wild animals will increase and this initiative will facilitate wildlife conservation."
According to the Bangladesh Bird Club, there are usually more than 50 species of birds that can be found per kilometre in any forest. But Satchhari is the only forest where about 200 species of birds, including the rare and endangered ones like vultures – are found within one kilometre.
Tareq Onu, vice-president of the Bangladesh Bird Club, said after the Sundarbans, so many species of birds cannot be found anywhere in the country except the Satchhari forest.
Founder of the Bangladesh Bird Club and noted ornithologist Enam-Ul-Haque said so many species of birds are found in Satchhari as the birds do not have other places to live.
"The forest holds a special place in my heart," he said, adding, "Because there are so many varieties of trees, herbs and plants, which have enriched the forest altogether. Two hundred species of birds will live in a small forest only when different foods are available for them. That's a good thing," he noted.
The Satchhari National Park is also home to about 28 species of reptiles and ten species of amphibians.
Appreciating the expansion move, herpetologist Shahriar Caesar Rahman said most of the streams in the forest have dried permanently. If the streams can be excavated and cleared, it will benefit the reptiles and amphibians.
Apart from reptiles, the park also houses 190 species of colourful butterflies.
Divisional Forest Officer Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said the adjacent lands which will be acquired have tree species and vegetation similar to the park and so the expansion would enrich the park.
Monirul H Khan, a wildlife expert and professor at Jahangirnagar University, said, "Many of the areas around the forest that are rich in wildlife have been proposed to be added to the park. It will benefit the wildlife. If their habitats are expanded, they will get more space for movement and reproduction," he added.
