Protect Endangered Eagles in Bangladesh

Progress Report: Save Eagles in Bangladesh

Reporting Period: August 2025 – December 2025
Organization: Green Fund Initiative (GFI), New York, USA
Local Partner in Bangladesh: Bangladesh Biodiversity Conservation and Social Services Centre (BCSSC)

1. Overview

During the reporting period of August–December 2025, the Save Eagles in Bangladesh project continued to face serious funding limitations, which restricted the implementation of planned large-scale activities such as systematic monitoring, rehabilitation services, and frequent rescue operations.

Despite these financial challenges, GFI and BCSSC remained actively engaged at the community level, prioritizing emergency wildlife response, awareness-raising, and volunteer engagement to ensure continued protection of eagles and other raptors in the project area.

2. Key Achievements2.1 Rescue and Emergency Response

Even with limited resources, the project successfully responded to urgent wildlife incidents:

• 3 eagles were rescued after being:

  • Captured by local people, or

  • Accidentally trapped in fishing nets used by fish farmers

• The rescued eagles were safely released following coordination with local volunteers and community members

• These rescues highlight the growing awareness among local communities, who increasingly report wildlife incidents instead of harming the birds

2.2 Awareness and Community Engagement

Community education remained a core focus during this period:

• Regular informal awareness activities were conducted during field visits and community interactions, emphasizing:

  • The ecological importance of eagles

  • Legal and ethical responsibilities toward protected wildlife

  • Safe practices to avoid accidental trapping in fishing nets

• 1 community meeting was organized in the project area, engaging local residents, fish farmers, and youth in discussions on:

  • Human–raptor coexistence

  • Preventing retaliatory harm to birds of prey

2.3 Volunteer Sensitization

• 1 volunteer sensitization meeting was conducted to:

  • Strengthen local capacity for wildlife reporting and response

  • Share best practices for handling rescue situations

  • Reinforce ethical guidelines for community-based conservation work

This activity helped sustain volunteer motivation and readiness despite limited financial support.

3. Challenges

• Funding limitations continued to restrict:

  • Regular field monitoring

  • Rehabilitation and post-rescue care

  • Expansion of awareness programs

• Human–wildlife conflict, particularly involving fish farming areas, remains a persistent threat

• Lack of equipment and emergency funds limits rapid response capacity

4. Next Steps

Subject to funding availability, the project aims to:

• Expand targeted awareness efforts among fish-farming communities

• Establish a small, community-based rapid response network for raptor rescue

• Strengthen coordination with the Forest Department and local authorities

• Secure funding to support structured rescue, rehabilitation, and monitoring activities

5. Conclusion

The August–December 2025 period demonstrates the commitment and resilience of the Save Eagles in Bangladesh initiative. Despite financial constraints, the project achieved meaningful outcomes, including the rescue of 3 eagles, ongoing community awareness, 1 community meeting, and 1 volunteer sensitization session.

These efforts reinforce the importance of community-led conservation and underline the urgent need for sustained funding to protect eagles and other raptors in Bangladesh over the long term.

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