Damage to agricultural crops by mammalian fauna at the fringes of Lawachara National Park, Bangladesh.
Aziz M. A., Feeroz M. M.
Author Affiliation: Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Tigerpaper 34 : 29-32
Abstract : An experiment was conducted from September 2005 to July 2006 to study the crop raiding incidents with notes on economic loss incurred by some of the mammalian fauna of the Lawachara National Park, Bangladesh. Wild boar was the principal crop raider, particularly before the budding of pineapples, and Rhesus macaques raided the crops just before harvesting. Hoary-bellied squirrels visited the lemon gardens throughout the year, boring into mature and ripened fruits. May-July is the peak time for the short-nosed fruit bat to forage in banana bunches, although they make visits throughout the year when the plants are flowering. Pteropus giganteus, occasionallly feeds on the banana bunches. Jackfruit buds have been severely damaged by some squirrel species during January and February, while mature and ripe fruits are targeted by rhesus macaques during April and May. Comparative data on the list of crops damages with mammalian species involved and area-wise crop damage with approximate economic loss are tabulated.