Sitesh Ranjan Deb

Last updated
Sitesh Ranjan Deb
সিতেশ রঞ্জন দেব
NationalityBangladeshi
OccupationWildlife conservationist

Sitesh Ranjan Deb (known as Sitesh Babu), is a former professional hunter in Bangladesh who is now a notable wildlife conservationist. [1]

Contents

Personal life

Deb grew up in a family that had been hunters, and in his youth, when hunting was not legally restricted, he himself was a professional hunter and wilderness guide. [2] However, his life changed in an accident in 1991 when he unexpectedly came face to face with a bear. He was injured severely, losing part of his face and right eye, before he managed to shoot the bear. [1] [2] [3] He quit hunting and focused on wildlife conservation. [1] [4]

Zoo

Locally, wild animals and their habitat have rapidly diminished as an enlarging human population has led to deforestation, often illegally, for timber and firewood. [2] Even before he stopped hunting altogether he had developed a zoo [1] which has rescued, rehabilitated and freed more than 3,000 animals. [3] [5] [6] [7] The zoo has hosted many rare animal species such as the first recorded Burmese ferret-badger in Bangladesh. [8] His work has been featured in numerous news articles. [2] [9] [10] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferret</span> Domestic species of mammal

The ferret is a small, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat, evidenced by their interfertility. Physically, ferrets resemble other mustelids because of their long, slender bodies. Including their tail, the average length of a ferret is about 50 cm (20 in); they weigh between 0.7 and 2.0 kg ; and their fur can be black, brown, white, or a mixture of those colours. The species is sexually dimorphic, with males being considerably larger than females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing cat</span> Small wild cat

The fishing cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2016, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Fishing cat populations are threatened by destruction of wetlands and have declined severely over the last decade. The fishing cat lives foremost in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps, and mangroves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badger</span> Short-legged omnivore

Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity. All belong to the caniform suborder of carnivoran mammals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian black bear</span> Bear species native to Asia

The Asian black bear, also known as the Asiatic black bear, moon bear and white-chested bear, is a medium-sized bear species native to Asia that is largely adapted to an arboreal lifestyle. It lives in the Himalayas, southeastern Iran, the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, the Korean Peninsula, China, the Russian Far East, the islands of Honshū and Shikoku in Japan, and Taiwan. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and is threatened by deforestation and poaching for its body parts, which are used in traditional medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game (hunting)</span> Wild animals under pursuit or taken in hunting

Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products, for recreation ("sporting"), or for trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, though most are terrestrial mammals and birds. Fish caught non-commercially are also referred to as game fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Safari, Singapore</span> Nocturnal zoo in Singapore

The Night Safari, Singapore is the world's first nocturnal zoo located in Mandai, Singapore. One of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, it forms part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve along with the River Wonders, Singapore Zoo and Bird Paradise.

The Born Free Foundation is an international wildlife charity that campaigns to "Keep Wildlife in the Wild". It protects wild animals in their natural habitat, campaigns against the keeping of wild animals in captivity and rescues wild animals in need. It also promotes compassionate conservation, which takes into account the welfare of individual animals in conservation initiatives. Born Free also creates and provides educational materials and activities that reflect the charity's values.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White lion</span> Rare colour mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion

The white lion is a rare colour mutation of the lion, specifically the Southern African lion. White lions in the area of Timbavati are thought to have been indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest recorded sighting in this region was in 1938. White lions first became known to the English-speaking world in 1977 through the book The White Lions of Timbavati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culling</span> Process of segregating organisms in biology

Culling is the process of segregating organisms from a group according to desired or undesired characteristics. In animal breeding, it is removing or segregating animals from a breeding stock based on a specific trait. This is done to exaggerate desirable characteristics, or to remove undesirable characteristics by altering the genetic makeup of the population. For livestock and wildlife, culling often refers to killing removed animals based on their characteristics, such as their sex or species membership, or as a means of preventing infectious disease transmission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Antonio Zoo</span> Zoo in Texas, United States

The San Antonio Zoo is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is located in the city's Brackenridge Park. San Antonio Zoo is a 50+ acre zoo home to over 750 species, some of which are endangered or extinct in the wild, and an annual attendance of more than 1 million. It also runs non-animal attractions, such as the 2 ft narrow gauge San Antonio Zoo Eagle train ride, which first opened in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Rabinowitz</span> American zoologist

Alan Robert Rabinowitz was an American zoologist who served as the president, CEO, and chief scientist at Panthera Corporation, a nonprofit conservation organization devoted to protecting the world's 40 wild cat species. Called the "Indiana Jones of Wildlife Protection" by Time, he studied jaguars, clouded leopards, Asiatic leopards, tigers, Sumatran rhinos, bears, leopard cats, raccoons, cervidae, and civets.

<i>Ultime grida dalla savana</i> 1975 Italian mondo film

Ultime grida dalla savana, also known as by its English title Savage Man Savage Beast, is a 1975 Italian mondo documentary film co-produced, co-written, co-edited and co-directed by Antonio Climati and Mario Morra. Filmed all around the world, its central theme focuses on hunting and the interaction between man and animal. Like many mondo films, the filmmakers claim to document real, bizarre and violent behavior and customs, although some scenes were actually staged. It is narrated by the Italian actor and popular dubber Giuseppe Rinaldi and the text was written by Italian novelist Alberto Moravia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Cambodia</span>

The wildlife of Cambodia is very diverse with at least 162 mammal species, 600 bird species, 176 reptile species, 900 freshwater fish species, 670 invertebrate species, and more than 3000 plant species. A single protected area, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, is known to support more than 950 total species, including 75 species that are listed as globally threatened on the IUCN Red List. An unknown amount of species remains to be described by science, especially the insect group of butterflies and moths, collectively known as lepidopterans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear-baiting</span> Blood sport with bears

Bear-baiting is a blood sport in which a chained bear and one or more dogs are forced to fight one another. It may also involve pitting a bear against another animal. Until the 19th century, it was commonly performed in Great Britain, Sweden, India, Pakistan, and Mexico among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exotic pet</span> A pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep

An exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a wild species rather than as a domesticated pet. The definition varies by culture, location, and over time—as animals become firmly enough established in the world of animal fancy, they may no longer be considered exotic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hirschfeld Wildlife Park</span> Zoo in Germany

Hirschfeld Wildlife Park is in Voigtsgrün, part of the municipality of Hirschfeld, near Zwickau in the German Free State of Saxony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Paws</span> Global animal welfare organisation based in Vienna, Austria

Four Paws is a global animal welfare organisation based in Vienna, Austria. The organisation is focusing on gradually improving the living conditions of animals under direct human influence, by revealing suffering, rescuing animals in need and protecting them.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shafiq Alam (September 6, 2010). "Reformed hunter battles to save Bangladesh's wildlife". Dawn. Agence France-Presse(AFP).
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dan Morrison (September 22, 2010). "The One-Eyed Hunter and the Albino Fishing Cat". National Geographic. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "From hunter to wildlife protector". Al Jazeera. Oct 25, 2010.
  4. "Reformed hunter battles to save Bangladesh's wildlife". Terra Daily. Sep 27, 2010.
  5. "Back to wild life: releases of wildlife by Sitesh Ranjan". The Daily Star. June 17, 2011.
  6. "Releases of Wildlife: Have a different day at Sitesh Deb sanctuary". The Daily Star. January 4, 2013.
  7. "Releases of Wildlife: Celebrating Baishakh (1st day of Bengali Year) in a different way". Bdnews24.com. April 15, 2011.
  8. Islam MA, Chowdhury GW, Belant JL (October 2008). "First record of the Large-toothed Ferret Badger Melogale personata in Bangladesh" (PDF). IUCN/SSC Small Carnivore Specialist Group (SCSG). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-12.
  9. Anbarasan Ethirajan (November 3, 2011). "The former hunter saving Bangladesh's wildlife". BBC News.
  10. "Fishing cat, caught by locals". The Daily Star. March 6, 2012.
  11. "Python lays eggs at mini zoo". The Daily Star. May 3, 2011.