Sitesh Ranjan Deb

Sitesh Ranjan Deb (known as Sitesh Babu), is a former professional hunter in Bangladesh who is now a notable wildlife conservationist.^[1]

Sitesh Ranjan Deb
সিতেশ রঞ্জন দেব
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Occupation	Wildlife conservationist

Personal life

Deb grew up in a family that had been hunters, and in his youth, when hunting was not legally restricted, he himself was a professional hunter and wilderness guide.^[2] However, his life changed in an accident in 1991 when he unexpectedly came face to face with a bear. He was injured severely, losing part of his face and right eye, before he managed to shoot the bear.^[1][2][3] He quit hunting and focused on wildlife conservation.^[1][4]

Zoo

Locally, wild animals and their habitat have rapidly diminished as an enlarging human population has led to deforestation, often illegally, for timber and firewood.^[2] Even before he stopped hunting altogether he had developed a zoo^[1] which has rescued, rehabilitated and freed more than 3,000 animals.^[3][5][6][7] The zoo has hosted many rare animal species such as the first recorded Burmese ferret-badger in Bangladesh.^[8] His work has been featured in numerous news articles.^{[2][9][10][11]}