Officials of Bangladesh-India joint tiger census in the Sundarbans yesterday said they have spotted 419 Royal Bengal Tigers in Bangladesh side of the world heritage mangrove forest.

Expressing satisfaction over the findings and management of the Sundarbans, Environment Minister Tariqul Islam told a news conference at Press Information Department auditorium that the tiger population includes 121 males and 298 females.

There are two male tigers against five females of the species. Besides, 21 tiger cubs found in the census have not been included, as they are not matured, the minister said,

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adding, from now on censuses will be taken regularly.

The United Nations sponsored seven-day census at the cost of Tk 23.04 lakh started on February 26. As many as 332 forest department officials, experts and NGO workers took part.

The press conference revealed forest department officials in West Bengal conducted such a survey in its side in January and found 249 tigers in the Sundarbans and 25 more in 24 Parganas.

The mangrove forest is home to 668 Royal Bengal Tigers, according to the census, which was carried out jointly to avoid double or under counting.

The survey was conducted in four ranges in Bangladesh. Khulna Range plays host to the highest 147 tigers, Satkhira Range 112, Sarankhola 97 and Chandpai Range plays host to 63 of the species.

Survey officials traced 1,546 pug-marks including 34 of cubs and manually analysed those. However, they were supposed to use special software for this purpose.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) started the first-ever cross-border census for the Bengal Tigers, 60 percent of which roam in Bangladesh.

UNDP Resident Representative Jorgen Lissner told reporters at the press briefing Bangladesh and India have agreed to take cross-border measures to solve environment problem.

Indian High Commissioner Veena Sikri said both the countries have started work on the Sundarbans in a bid to overcome

any difficulties together.

State Minister for Environment Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, Environment Secretary Shoeb Ahmed and Conservator of Forest Department Anawarul Islam, among others, were present.

Meanwhile, IUCN, the World Conservation Union, has recently in its Red Data Book branded the Royal Bengal Tiger as "critically endangered" species.