The catastrophic effects of Cyclone Remal, with tidal surges sustained for more than 30 hours, caused wildlife casualties in the Sundarbans.
Mihir Kumar Doe, conservator of forests in the Khulna Division of the Forest Department, told Bangladesh First, “The dead bodies of 28 spotted deer and one wild boar were found scattered in the forest as of the afternoon of 28 May."
The world’s largest mangrove forest was submerged by a 5-8 foot-high tidal surge when the 120 km/hr Cyclone Remal hit Bangladesh’s southwest coast on the evening of 26 May.
Mihir added that 17 injured spotted deer had been rescued by this time.
Rescue and search operations are still ongoing, he said.
According to the Khulna divisional forest officials, several establishments, including forest guard camps and wireless network systems of the forest department, were severely damaged due to the cyclone.
Tin sheds and jetties at Dublar Char, Shelar Char, Kachikhali, Katka and Sharankhola were among the cyclone-hit stations of the Forest Department.
Besides, as presumed earlier, all the freshwater ponds of the department were flooded by saline water as the tidal surges swept away the forest.
