Sundarbans Report | Photographs

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Often the tiger finds it easy to attack man absorbed in his work in the dark difficult forests of sundarbans. Even fishermen in small boats have been attacked due to the tiger’s incredible swimming ability. Hence, the conflict of Bengal Tiger with man is at ITS extreme. HOWEVER, under any circumstances, man is not the primary source of food for the tigers and recently with better management techniques ATTACKS HAVE DECLINED significantly. But the conflict has been made to live and if by any chance a tiger happens to enter a village, it is surrounded and killed. UNFORTUNATELY, this is done sometimes ON intention to make money BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND OF TIGER BODY PARTS from DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE world. The INVOLVEMENT OF THE mass dilutes the crime.

THERE ARE SEVERAL THEORIES FOR THIS BEHAVIOR OF MAN BEING ATTACKED BY THE BENGAL TIGER. One is the salinity of water; the other is HUMAN DISTURBANCE IN THE FOREST. lack of prey IS ALSO PUT FORWARD BUT THE FOREST HAS ENOUGH POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE TIGER POPULATION IF LEFT UNDISTURBED. IT IS ALSO BELIEVED THAT TIGERS LEARN TO KILL AND DEVOUR HUMANS FROM THEIR MOTHERS. However most attacks on men are on intrusion. Accordingly precautionary measures have been taken while going into the forest. Wearing mask at the back of the head to confuse the tiger has helped. Fresh water ponds for drinking have been dug for the big cats in certain areas. Electrified Clay dummy of fishermen and honey collectors have been set up at attack points. When the tiger attacks one of these it gets a shock not enough to kill but painful enough for it to remember not to attack man again. Though collection of Phoenix palm for thatching has been banned the need for a roof over the head forces many to move into the forest. Workers usually carry clubs over their right shoulders as most of tigers attacks are on the right nape.

However, the tiger needs protection just as this unique forest. Tiger population is as low as 271 in the Indian side. This has made the animal extremely vulnerable for becoming extinct.

Apart from the initiative from the government, an initiative has come from some enterprising young men from the village of bally near the forest.

As soon as the tiger enters into a village, they rush to the site after passing on information to the forest department. They motivate villagers not to harm the animal. Meanwhile the forest department with the help of the villagers cordons the area with nets. The tiger is finally tranquilize, put in an iron cage and carried across the river to a nearby forest to be released. In the recent times a number of such operations have been successfully undertaken. Thanks to the bravery of these men the awareness to save the animal is on the rise.

This has been so successful that the forest department too has begun to depend on these young men and inform them of tigers straying into villages to take necessary action.

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Sundarbans Report | Photographs

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