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 (Teinostachyuni 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 (Cervns 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.