A poacher who killed 70 rare tigers was arrested Saturday in Bangladesh after a 20-year manhunt, according to The Hill.
Habib Talukder, 50, also known as “Tiger Habib,” was arrested by Sharankhola police in a border village between Bangladesh and India in the Sundarbans after a “tip-off,” according to the report.
After 20-year manhunt, infamous poacher who killed 70 endangered tigers caught https://t.co/Lh9bRyN2s3 pic.twitter.com/cUeVU9yrao
— The Hill (@thehill) June 1, 2021
Talukder allegedly operated in the Sundarbans mangrove forest, killing 70 Bengal tigers over the last 20 years. The forest is home to the world’s largest population of Bengal tigers, according to the BBC.
Sharankhola Station Officer Md Abdul Mannan told Dhaka Tribune the poacher was listed as a most wanted fugitive.
“He [Talukder] secretly entered the Sundarbans and hunted wild animals despite being banned from entering the forest long ago. He has been carrying out these criminal activities even though there are multiple cases against him… some powerful gangs are involved in this,” he told the Tribune.
A local honey hunter, Abdus Salam, told The Guardian that Talukder is a “dangerous man.”
“He’s a dangerous man who could fight alone with Mama [tiger] inside the forest. We equally respect him and are scared of him,” he added. (RELATED: Man Receives Lifetime Hunting Ban For Poaching Across Multiple Colorado Counties)
Mainuddin Khan, a regional forest conservation officer, also told The Guardian the news of Talukder’s arrest brought “sighs of relief.” “He was a big headache for us. He posed a great threat to the forest’s biodiversity.”
The Bengal tiger population reached an all-time low in 2015 with only 106 tigers remaining, according to The Guardian report. The number had increased to 114 in 2019 after a crackdown on poaching and banditry.