To curb recurring wildlife smuggling fueled by lax management, inadequate surveillance, and vulnerable boundary walls at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park in Gazipur, the Forest Department has initiated a comprehensive security overhaul. The authorities are moving to implant microchips in captive animals and conduct extensive DNA profiling to prevent thefts and definitively trace missing or recovered fauna.
The necessity for advanced tracking became acute following a series of high-profile thefts from the facility. On November 22, 2024, two Green-winged Macaws were stolen from the Safari Kingdom section, and although one was subsequently recovered along with an arrest, the full syndicate remained unmasked. This was followed by the disappearance of a Nilgai on January 16, 2025, which has yet to be located. Furthermore, the March 2025 theft of three rare ring-tailed lemurs from Madagascar prompted a Criminal Investigation Department probe, which later revealed that the animals had been smuggled across the border into neighboring India.
The growing security crisis prompted internal administrative action in September 2025, when Assistant Conservator of Forests and Park Acting Officer Tariq Rahman formally urged the divisional office to adopt microchipping. Following endorsement by Divisional Forest Officer Sharmin Akhter, the proposal reached the Conservator of Forests. SANAULLAH PATWARI, Conservator of Forests for the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Region, stated that the department has officially undertaken the initiative to profile sensitive and rare species, which will be executed through the forensic laboratory of the Wildlife Crime Control Unit.
Elaborating on the implementation, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Chief Conservator of the Wildlife Crime Control Unit, noted that they have received the formal proposal for both safari parks in the country. While some microchips are already in inventory, additional procurement is underway, and pending chemical reagents for the forensic lab are expected to arrive within a month. Officials explained that DNA profiling creates a genetic blueprint comparable to human forensic testing, allowing scientists to scientifically identify specific animals or their bloodline relatives. Meanwhile, rice grain-sized electronic microchips containing unique identification numbers will eliminate ambiguities when recovered animals are brought back to the park.
Assistant Conservator Tariq Rahman emphasized that securing the vast 3,690-acre expanse of Bangladesh's largest safari park—established in 2013 across Sreepur Upazila of Gazipur with a lean workforce of 84 personnel—remains a monumental challenge, making microchips and DNA profiling vital not only for security but also for gathering health data. Weighing in on the development, prominent wildlife expert Reza Khan, who has extensive experience managing the Dubai Safari Park in the United Arab Emirates, welcomed the move as a global standard while urging broader modernization. Khan pointed out that the facility still relies on outdated 1950s-era management methods, maintaining unhygienic enclosures that cause distress to captive animals, underscoring an urgent need for knowledgeable manpower and holistic administrative reform.
