The ring-tailed lemur, a unique species native to the African island nation of Madagascar, was first brought to Bangladesh in 2018 to attract visitors. Two lemurs were imported and kept at Gazipur Safari Park, where they later bred successfully. However, taking advantage of the deteriorating law and order situation following last year’s mass student and public uprising, three ring-tailed lemurs were stolen from the park.
It was not just the lemurs — rare species such as nilgai, turtles, and birds are also being stolen due to poor security. After being stolen, these animals are smuggled through Siliguri–Jalpaiguri in India and then trafficked to China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Alongside live animals, turtle bones are also being smuggled. In the past three years, 297 kilograms of turtle bones have been recovered from border areas during attempted trafficking. The Meherpur, Hili, Shibganj, and Burimari borders are being used as key trafficking routes.
The Wildlife Crime Control Unit (WCCU), which works to combat wildlife theft and trafficking, reported that 4,044 wild animals had been rescued until September 2025. Of them, 458 were rescued in January, 1,044 in February, 121 in March, 143 in April, 277 in May, 167 in June, 978 in July, 856 in August, and 2,111 in September. Among the rescued animals were various species of turtles, civets, birds, snakes, monkeys, tokay geckos (Tokkhok), lemurs, elephants, bears, and langurs. Once stolen, these animals are first taken to neighboring countries before being sold at high prices in China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and many other countries. Apart from live animals, turtle bones, shark fat, and other body parts are also trafficked abroad by international wildlife smugglers.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is currently investigating the theft of the three ring-tailed lemurs from Gazipur Safari Park. According to their findings, on the night of March 23, 2025, thieves cut through the park’s security fence and stole two male and one female ring-tailed lemur, all of them endangered and rare species. The investigation revealed that in 2018, two organizations had imported 86 pairs of animals, including the two ring-tailed lemurs, which are prohibited for import, trade, or sale. These animals were later handed over to the Gazipur Safari Park. The lemurs later gave birth to two offspring, bringing the total number to four — one of which died later.
Investigators said that Nipel Mahmud, who worked at the park on an outsourcing basis, was involved in the theft. He used to take photos and videos of rare and endangered animals inside the park and post pictures and videos on private groups and pages on various platforms, including Facebook, to attract domestic and foreign buyers. Once a buyer showed interest and the price was agreed upon, he arranged to steal the chosen animal.
On the morning of March 23, Nipel allegedly cut through the fence and stole the three ring-tailed lemurs, keeping them temporarily at the house of his neighbor, Md Jewel Mia. Later, he sold one lemur to Delwar Hossain Tausif and Md Sabbir Hossain Tapan for BDT 520,000. When they learned that two more lemurs were available, they connected with Indian buyers and negotiated a sale for BDT 700,000. Delwar and Sabbir then packed the two lemurs in cartons at Bhaluka in Mymensingh and handed them over to the buyers in their vehicle. Nipel received BDT 70,000 as commission for the deal.
CID’s Special Superintendent of Police Jasim Uddin told Bonik Barta, “Nipel Mahmud, who worked at Gazipur Safari Park on an outsourcing basis, is in fact a member of an international wildlife trafficking network. Taking advantage of his position, he captured and circulated photos and videos of rare species to the international market. After fixing the price, he would steal the targeted animals from the park and hand them over to international smugglers. So far, six members of the syndicate, including Nipel, have been arrested and have confessed to their crimes in court. Of the three stolen ring-tailed lemurs, one has been recovered, and efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining two. The primary investigations confirm that the group was stealing and trafficking rare and endangered animals from Bangladesh to foreign markets.”
There is an international demand for snake venom, which is used as a raw ingredient in pharmaceuticals. To meet this demand, members of trafficking rings collect venom from various regions of Bangladesh. And in some cases, venom is also smuggled into the country. The syndicate purchases the venom in Bangladesh, transports it to India, and from there, it reaches Somali pirates who later sell it to China through illicit networks. Eventually, the venom finds its way into China and several European countries. Law enforcement agencies have uncovered these details from those arrested during recent seizures. Over the past eight years, police, RAB, and BGB have seized snake venom worth several million takas in Bangladesh.
Dr. Md Tawohidul Haque, associate professor at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research of the University of Dhaka (DU), and a crime analyst, told Bonik Barta, “The deterioration in law and order following the mass uprising has triggered a surge in various crimes. Criminals have become more opportunistic, increasing both the scale and frequency of their activities. Wildlife thieves and smugglers have taken advantage of the weakened law enforcement environment to organize more efficiently. They are now stealing rare species from within the country and smuggling them across the border. To curb this, border surveillance must be strengthened with CCTV and technological monitoring, while the internal trafficking networks should be identified and dismantled. The coordination among law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and the Forest Department is crucial in this regard.”
According to WCCU, a nilgai was rescued from the Kantivita border in Thakurgaon in November last year. In recent years, body parts of nilgai and pangolins (Bonrui) have been recovered from Panchagarh, Dinajpur, Chapainawabganj, and Naogaon. Notably, nilgai have been extinct in Bangladesh since the 1940s. In 2022, Indian media reported that seven kangaroos rescued in Gajoldoba, Jalpaiguri, had entered India through Bangladesh from Australia. The most frequently used trafficking routes include Baliadangi, Hili, Shibganj, Burimari, and Meherpur borders. From Chicken’s Neck near Jalpaiguri, trafficked animals are moved onward to Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Thailand, and even Persian Gulf countries.
Rathindra Kumar Biswas, wildlife & biodiversity conservation officer at WCCU, told Bonik Barta, “The current weakness in law enforcement has somewhat contributed to the rise in wildlife theft and smuggling. However, we are making every effort to combat these crimes. We are conducting regular operations in coordination with the police and other law enforcement agencies. Last month, we sat in a meeting in Thailand organized by the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime). Representatives from 32 countries participated there. We sought everyone's cooperation in conserving rare species of animals. They also gave assurances. One of the three stolen ring-tailed lemurs has been recovered, while the other two are in the hands of smugglers in a neighboring country. We are now seeking Interpol’s assistance through the Police Headquarters to recover them.”
AHM Shahadat Hossain, AIG (media) at the Police Headquarters, told Bonik Barta, “Law enforcement agencies are always active in protecting wildlife. In coordination with the Wildlife Crime Control Unit and other relevant agencies, we take necessary action against wildlife trafficking syndicates. At the same time, we are working with Interpol to strengthen our efforts against international wildlife crime networks.”