Through the foundation, he gained nationwide recognition for his work in wildlife conservation.
Wildlife conservationist Sitesh Ranjan Deb. Photo: Collected
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Wildlife conservationist Sitesh Ranjan Deb. Photo: Collected
Sitesh Ranjan Deb, chairman of the Bangladesh Bannayaprani Sheba Foundation and a pioneering figure in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in Bangladesh, has died aged 75.
He suffered a heart attack and passed away at 9:05am today (14 July).
One of his relatives, Jhalak Dutta, said his body will be taken from his residence to his ancestral home in Tor village of Moulvibazar’s Sreemangal upazila this afternoon, where his last rites will be performed.
A resident of Ramakrishna Mission Road in Sreemangal, Sitesh founded the Bangladesh Bannayaprani Sheba Foundation, the country’s first privately established organisation dedicated to rescuing and caring for wild animals.
At the centre, he treated injured wildlife. Popular among tourists, the facility became widely known as “Sitesh Babu’s Zoo.”
Through the foundation, he gained nationwide recognition for his work in wildlife conservation.
According to family members, Sitesh’s father, Shreesh Deb, began rescuing and caring for wild animals as a hobby in 1962.
He would bring injured or captured animals home and nurse them back to health.
Watching his father’s compassion for animals and learning his rescue techniques inspired Sitesh to continue the work.
He later established an animal rescue and rehabilitation centre at his home in Sreemangal.
The rescue centre was formally established in 1971.
In 2011, with support from Bangladesh Bank, it was expanded into the Bangladesh Bannayaprani Sheba Foundation.
In 1991, Sitesh suffered severe injuries to one eye, his face and nose after being attacked by a bear while rescuing wildlife.
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