Shutting down illegal menageries is bearing fruit. But that’s just the first step
Illegal menageries — privately owned zoos and wildlife collections — were once considered a status symbol among affluent individuals and private estates. But over the past two years, multiple raids have led to the rescue of numerous species
I once casually asked a fresh zoology graduate, soon to be involved with a fishing cat conservation project, about her long-term career goal.
"I wish to set up a menagerie like Shopnopuri," she responded, with a mix of enthusiasm and naivety. I understood her ingenuous reply.
The impact of illegal private zoos is far-reaching, even subtly moulding perspectives in many conservationists like her, I thought to myself. Shopnopuri, until this January, had been the largest private collection of illegally sourced native wildlife, and the biggest bane to the biodiversity of the Rangpur Division.
I recalled Indian leopards being captured from the sugarcane and maize fields of Panchagarh and brought to the park. The menagerie had influenced illegal wildlife trafficking far beyond Rangpur, sourcing animals like black bears and great hornbills from the distant corners of hill forests. It inspired others with influential connections to set up their own private zoos and caused a shifting baseline syndrome among the masses and young zoologists.
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Places like Shopnopuri have made seeing wildlife behind bars seem like normalcy. This month, the Wildlife Crime Control Unit (WCCU) of the Bangladesh Forest Department led a drive at Shopnopuri, rescued 74 animals of different species and shut the zoo down.
Overall, 2025 has been a positive start for wildlife conservation in Bangladesh. Many illegal zoos like Shopnopuri have faced the hammer of justice, with more awaiting a similar fate. But we must devise our next steps carefully to ensure these harmful establishments remain uprooted forever.
A turning tide
Particularly after the suspension of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), to which Bangladesh is a signatory, the country has taken significant strides to curb illegal wildlife trade.
There have been successful seizures of monkeys and langurs. Many heinous means of wildlife trafficking have been exposed, such as transporting bear cubs and great hornbills on intercity buses.
To dismantle the network, WCCU, staffed by young and dedicated officers, has ramped up its effort to curb the local demand for native wildlife.
Hundreds of private zoos scattered throughout Bangladesh — all without proper documentation and most with a shady connection to the trafficking network — have thus become an immediate objective to tackle.
The scale of the problem
Illegal menageries — privately owned zoos and wildlife collections were once considered a status symbol among affluent individuals and private estates. These menageries often housed wild animals in substandard conditions, posing threats to both animal welfare and public safety.
Over the past two years, multiple raids have led to the rescue of numerous species, including rare primates, birds of prey and even big cats. However, the drive that began this year marks the biggest move by the WCCU yet. Five large unlawful wildlife collections, acting as nuclei for Rangpur, Bogura, Shariatpur, Rangmati, and Gazipur, have already been shut down.
This success has garnered praise from conservationists, but these recent high-profile operations highlight the scale of the problem. From the Shopnopuri drive, which was carried out in two phases, 74 wild animals were rescued, including hoolock gibbons, Asiatic black bears, capped langurs, great hornbills, slow lorises, otters, and different snakes and turtles, according to Wildlife Inspector Abdullah As Sadique.
Similarly, on 24 February, another special operation rescued 44 illegally held wild animals from the raid at Aduri Kunjo Picnic Spot and Resort in Gazipur. This led to the seizure of a leopard cat, a monkey, and eight spotted deer kept under an expired licence.
Additionally, two langurs were rescued from a local vendor, while another shop was found illegally selling 20 parakeets and 12 doves. 31 and 38 animals were rescued from local zoos at Shariatpur and Bogura, respectively.
These locations had been operating as mini zoos, unlawfully collecting and exhibiting wildlife to attract visitors. The park authorities failed to provide any legal permits for keeping them. Legal action is now underway under the Wildlife Conservation Act.
Some of the animals were found wounded. Similar scenarios are expected at other zoos.
How many more hundreds of animals, small and large, need rescue?
Challenges beyond rescue
Shutting down illegal facilities is a vital first step to cutting off the heads of the hydra, the illegal wildlife trafficking network we are battling with. It also opens the door to a set of complex challenges aimed at minimising collateral damage. Where do the rescued animals go?
There are few wildlife rescue centres in Bangladesh. The two safari parks, already stretched thin, have limited capacity to rehabilitate native wildlife and rewild confiscated animals.
Worryingly, there have been attempts to use safari parks as a cover for wildlife trafficking, as seen in the thwarted operation in Lathitila.
Moreover, not all rescued animals can return to the wild. Some have lived in captivity for too long, losing the skills needed for survival, for example, the black bears from Shopnopuri. Others suffer from malnutrition or disease due to improper care and need a certain period of care before being released back into the wild, such as the otters and hornbills.
Long-term sanctuary becomes the only humane option, but space and funding remain major constraints. The ideological goal of the existing government-run safari parks and zoos, often viewed as a source of amusement and tourism-centric ventures, requires reformation.
In addition, regional rescue centres need to be created as this facility is extremely limited in Bangladesh. This gap often leads to the emergence of shady private operations masquerading as wildlife rescue efforts.
The investment in the Jankichara Wildlife Rescue Centre at Lawachara National Park serves as a prime example. It is the only functioning government-run rescue centre. Prior to its establishment by the Forest Department, all animals rescued or captured after venturing into localities within the Sylhet Division were customarily sent to a private zoo in Srimangal.
This was done under the pretence that there were no other facilities to care for these distressed animals.
However, the reality was quite different. This illegal setup, masquerading as a wildlife caregiver, was run by a former hunter who had been mauled by a bear during a hunting expedition and led hunting camps with influential people in the '80s and '90s.
It exploited the absence of any government-run facility and continued its underground operations in wildlife trade — an open secret within conservation communities.
Until recently, the list of animals in the facility was constantly changing, with no stock monitoring efforts by the Forest Department. "We released the animals,'' the facility responded whenever asked, but there was no means of verification.
I recalled my first visit to this zoo. Of all the things I remember, the most heinous was the sight of migratory ducks kept in the facility's pond. "These ducks love the facility so much that they have decided to stay," I was told.
In reality, all their wings had been carefully clipped. There were species like gadwall, garganey, pochard — all winter visitors to Bangladesh, likely sourced from nearby wetlands. Since Jankichora came into being, this 'rescue centre' gradually lost its credibility and is now awaiting legal action.
Stopping recurrence
To prevent the resurgence of illegal menageries, sustained enforcement and public awareness are crucial. This includes imposing stricter penalties for offenders, conducting regular inspections of private properties known for wildlife ownership, and educating the public about the ecological and ethical consequences of keeping wild animals as pets.
The government should consider amending existing wildlife protection laws to close the loopholes that have previously allowed private ownership under the guise of 'rescue' or 'conservation.'
Such legal reforms would be a stronger deterrent against future violations. Without these measures, we risk seeing these setups reemerge, leading to even more wildlife being sourced from our ever-diminishing habitats.
The road ahead
While the shutdown of illegal menageries marks a significant victory, it is only part of a broader conservation puzzle. Ensuring the well-being of confiscated animals, enhancing rehabilitation facilities, and fostering a cultural shift away from wildlife ownership will determine the long-term success of this initiative.
Bangladesh has shown that progress is possible with coordinated efforts, but the road ahead requires continued vigilance, compassion, and commitment. Only then can the country truly turn the tide against the exploitation of its rich wildlife heritage.
