The Horrific Reality Of Tiger Attacks In Sunderbans

Too many family in Sunderban have lost their family members to their feline neighbors. In the tussle over shrinking residency, tigers are attacking the men whoenter the forest for fish, crab, wood. A rapid rise in the sea level due to climate change is triggering a silent yet drastic livelihood change in the agricultural fields and water bodies of Sunderban, the World Heritage Site that

spans 10,000 sq km across the Indo-Bangladesh border. The number of Royal Bengal tigers in Sunderban is also on the decline.

Hungry and thirsty tigers are becoming more dangerous day by day in Sunderban . In this tussle over land, tigers are now attacking people who are entering their forests for crab hunting, fishing, woods. Global Warming has led to an increase in tiger man conflict in the Sunderban. Due to a 45 cm rise in the water, the salinity levels in Sunderban have spiked. This has forced the tigers to move towards the village.

As agriculture and fishing become increasingly unviable in the islands due to natural calamities and salt water ingression, a sizeable number of Sunderbans’ farmers have become migrant labourers. For those who could not migrate, the only options are fishing, hunting crabs and collecting honey from the dense mangrove forested area. This conflict increases the number of widows.

Photo details:

Jayanta Pradhan(45) is the resident of Baikunthapur, Maipith in West Bengal. He & his fellow partners went to the river side for hunting crabs and suddenly he faced a tiger & attacked by the tiger. Those partners saved him and he is alive now.

"When the tiger caught me from behind, I was telling my partners that tiger caught me. 50 stitches on my right ear, i can not hear trough right ear" - said : Jayanta Pradhan.

Madhu Dutta who was attacked by a tiger in the rice fields at the village Kishorimohonpur in the year 2001. "The tiger entered the village, we all tried to make the tiger run away from our village but the tiger bit on my right arm"-said : Madhu Dutta.

Lata Jana, wife of Satyabrata Jana who went to the river for fishing and was killed by a tiger at the of 52 in the year 2011.

Nepal Adok (60) who went to the forest for collecting woods and he was attacked from behind. He, his wife Jamuna Adok & his granddaughter in the picture. They still hear the roar of Royal Bengal Tiger. "I was being dragged by the tiger to core the forest & i was praying and telling myself (Bengali : seshe amake bagher kache morte hobe, vogoban amake bachao daya kore) that oh God Is it the end of my life? Am i going to die? Please save me God and luckily the tiger left him & the tiger went away and I escaped from there " - Said : Nepal Adok.

Radheshyam Mandol(52) is another victim of tiger attack.

Aminul Molla(55) who can not speak properly because of the injury by tiger attack in the year 2010. He is showing the marks on his face & chest.

Sandhya Bhunia, mother of Bappa Bhunia who was 22 years old when he was killed by a tiger & he was married of 8 month. His mother broke down while seeing her son's picture. " he went on Saturday with 20 people including his 3 brother for crab hunting & he returned on Saturday evening. Again he went to the forest but he did not return. His wife Rakhi Bhunia was took away & forced to marriage again by her family after bappa's death" -Said : Sandhya Bhunia.

Subal singh, father of Prbin singh who went for crab hunting in the river and he was killed by a tiger. later found his wounded body. His wife Chandana Singh with her two son Subrata(10) & Sanjay(60).

Khudiram Naskar(65), crab hunter who was a another victim of tiger attack.