The extent of natural bamboo forests in the mixed bamboo areas in
the Kassalong and Rainkhiong Reserve Forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
(CHT), Bangladesh are 76192 ha (188275 acre) and 27256 ha (67352 acre)
respectively (Anon. 1963).

Bamboos in these forests occur as an understorey with the tree species.
Eight bamboo species are indigenous to the area. Four of these species—
Muli (Melocanna bambusoides), Mitinga {Rambnsa tuldd), Daloo (Teinostaebyum
dtdlooa) and Orah (Dendrocalamtis longispathns) are of commercial importance.
A fifth species Kaliserri (Oxytenentbera auriculatd} reaches commercial size but
is of limited occurance. The remaining three species, Kali (Oxytenantbera
nigrociliata) Bariala (Bambtisa vtdgaris ) and Bazali (T’einostachyuni griffithii} are
of small size and assume a shrub-like growth and are of little commercial
importance (Zahiruddin 1959).

Deer is an important mammalian fauna
of Bangladesh. It plays an important role in
maintaining the forest ecosystem. Blanford,
in 1888, recorded five species of deer in this
region. These were the Barking Deer
{Mjintiaciis inuntjak Zimmermann), the
Spotted Deer {Axis axis Erxleben), the Hog
Deer {Axis porcinus Zimmermann), the Swamp
Deer {Ccrvns diivanceli Cuvier) and the
Sambar {Cervas unicolor Kerr). However,
updating of this old record was necessary
because during this period wanton deforestation
and indiscriminate huntings had taken place
resulting in ecological changes and
disappearance of quite a few animal species.
A reconnaissance survey of the wildlife of
Bangladesh was, therefore, carried out between
April and December, 1978 ; and special
attention was given to ascertain the present
position of deer.