Shawdesh Desk: The forest department officials feared that they were going to count the worst damage in the Sundarbans in terms of its wildlife as the tidal water powered by Remal did not drain out even after 30 hours keeping all freshwater ponds inundated.

They also said that saltwater entered into the world’s largest mangrove forest around 12:30pm on Sunday with 8-10 feet high tidal surge but the water was yet to drain out till 8:00pm on Monday.

The 100-kilometre per hour cyclone hit Bangladesh coast on Sunday afternoon. The loss and damages from the cyclone are yet to be assessed completely.

Forest officials said that this was the record longest time stay of saline water in the forest after any cyclone. They feared a huge impact on animals this time after cyclone Sidr in 2007.

They said that usually saline water drained out from the forest within three-four hours in the past cyclones.

Wild-animals turned vulnerable for the long-time stay of saline water at a high level in the forest, they said.

Sundarbans is the house of huge diversity that shelters 40 species of mammals, 260 species of birds and 35 species of reptiles. Royal Bengal Tiger is the signature animal of the rainforest.

Khulna divisional conservator of forest Mihir Kumar Dey said that there are only eight shelters for animals in the forest which is very insufficient.

Mihir also said that due to the tidal surge, all the 80 ponds which are the sources of freshwater for wild-animals in the forest were inundated.

‘No freshwater source now exists from where animals can drink,’ said Mihir.

Jahangirnagar University zoology professor M Monirul H Khan said that the government must create more shelters for wild-animals and educate local people so that they don’t hit any animal displaced from forest due to the storm.

He demanded authorities take measures for freshwater restoration in the forest.

Forest officials said that they have rescued five deer which floated to adjacent villages.

International Union for Conservation of Nature country director Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan said that after any disaster we forgot about wildlife.

He asked authorities for a rapid assessment of wildlife and forest.

‘Rescue injured wildlife and bring back them to forest after proper treatment to minimise fatality,’ he demanded.

Sundarbans, the over 10,000-square km forest, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a source of livelihood of over 14 million people living in Bangladesh and India.

The forest protected the country embracing many storms particularly cyclones originated in the Bay of Bengal.

In 2023, Sundarbans, located along the Bay of Bengal in south-western part of Bangladesh, braced cyclones Amphan and Midhili.

Earlier in 2007, 2009, 2019, and 2021, the mangrove forest protected thousands of people living in neighbouring areas from cyclones like Sidr, Aila, Yaash, and Bulbul.