| "> | | | | And the low-frame open country boat is certainly |
| Tiger tales keep doing the rounds among the | | | | not a safe place to retire even in mid-stream |
| community living in villages around the largest | | | | after it is dark. The animal despite its size would |
| mangrove rainforests in the world -- the | | | | silently swim through the water, leap into the boat |
| Sunderbans. To the villagers the big cat is 'Dakhin | | | | light-footed, and make a swift kill. Indeed its |
| Rai', a sobriquet for the mighty lord of the jungles, | | | | scheming is incredible. |
| uttered with reverence and fear. The tiger and | | | | This is the typical style of the Sunderban tiger's |
| the community in the deltaic island forests, | | | | hunting tact as against its peers in other tiger |
| interspersed by innumerable streams, cohabit in a | | | | reserves of the country. In Ranthambore or |
| love hate relationship. When the striped beauty | | | | Kanha for instance, the forest reserves are |
| strikes, the villagers mourn the deceased and | | | | surrounded by human habitats and there are |
| curse the animal; and the tiger hates man | | | | roads passing through them. The predominance of |
| knowing that the two-legged animal around its | | | | human activity along these corridors push the |
| domain is the fiercest of all predators. So, it uses | | | | tiger deeper into the forest and the big cat is |
| its cunning to take it one-up on him as | | | | always wary of the man rather than making a |
| opportunities present itself. | | | | prey of him. These inland tigers would rather |
| The big cat was omnipresent all over Bengal not | | | | chase its prey full steam and pull it down. |
| too far away in the past. When Calcutta was | | | | Conversely, the large tiger population of |
| being created as a trading post in the 17th | | | | Sunderban each confined to individual island |
| century by the East India Company, the striped | | | | territories, have adapted to the typical conditions |
| cat's domain would include the woods in the | | | | and find men on foot trespassing their territory a |
| peripheries of the city and it would come visiting | | | | less painstaking and easier kill than an exhaustive |
| the courtyards of nearby hamlets after dusk, all | | | | chase of a sprinting deer. However it shouldn't be |
| too often. | | | | construed that the Sunderban tiger is a |
| The beauty of the beast however surpasses its | | | | compulsive man-eater. The tiger here, by natural |
| cunning. The Bengal tiger in its typical environment | | | | instinct picks its prey from the many animals in |
| at Sunderbans is a magnificent animal with a | | | | the bushes. It is only the silly mistakes of man |
| slightly redish-yellow coat than the ochre-yellow | | | | that makes him the occasional victim. |
| look on its counterparts in other reserves of India. | | | | Hiru's body was not found but the tiger footprints |
| In its natural home at Sunderban, it has the | | | | confirmed he was carried into the bushes may be |
| largest concentration with about 249 animals by | | | | a few kilometres away. The striped Sultan can |
| the last authenticated UN Tiger census 2004. Its | | | | carry its kill to great distance with élan, to |
| grace and majestic strides in the undergrowth of | | | | feed undisturbed in the undergrowth. |
| the thick rainforest would hardly have any | | | | We reach the village in less than twenty minutes, |
| contest to the claim of 'Sultan of the Jungle' and | | | | passing through a web of streams locally called |
| as the national animal of the country. | | | | 'khola'. This was a large settlement in one of the |
| Sunderban gets its name from the abundance of | | | | delta islands. Our local facilitator was waiting on |
| 'sundari' trees [Heritiera fomes] in the region. It is | | | | the shores to take us to the community elders. |
| spread over the largest delta in the world shared | | | | He had already briefed the villagers about the |
| between India and neighbouring Bangladesh. The | | | | purpose of our visit and had arranged a few |
| Indian tiger reserve spreads over 2,500 sq. km. | | | | homes where our visitors could interface in their |
| across 54 islands interspersed by innumerable | | | | daily life. Our European visitors were excited with |
| large and small rivulets and offers a distinctly | | | | the idea of having a day with these welcoming |
| hospitable biosphere for the tiger compared to | | | | villagers and experience their way of life up close. |
| other inland tiger reserves. Sunderban was | | | | The first curious encounter they had was with a |
| declared a world heritage site in 1997 by UNESCO. | | | | group of males each of who wore a mask of a |
| Unlike the inland locations where the tiger usually is | | | | human face at the back of their heads. They |
| the supreme predator in its domain, the tiger at | | | | were honey gatherers walking in a row towards |
| Sunderban has to compete with large deadly | | | | the deeper woodlands. It was an amusing sight of |
| Crocks in the water, which it has to continuously | | | | men marching ahead wearing big-eyed masks |
| cross within the individual territories. And the | | | | ogling at you from rear of their heads. This, we |
| adjustment between the two fierce rivals is, | | | | explained to the visiting group was a way to trick |
| surprisingly respectful. Both revere one another | | | | the big cat into believing that it was being |
| and confrontations are rare. | | | | watched by all the men if it attempts to stealthily |
| It was mid January and I was accompanying a | | | | stalk them from the rear. Most times in the battle |
| small group of eight backpackers from Europe to | | | | of nerves between the cat and humans, the cat |
| the area. The tour was customised to address | | | | breaks off the trail. Sometimes the cat emerges |
| the visitor's needs of jungle adventure as well as | | | | smarter and there is someone who is killed or |
| gain insights on indigenous community life through | | | | mauled. |
| cultural immersion programme. | | | | As it is, many of these settlements have fewer |
| We travelled from Kolkata by road first and then | | | | men against women population. People here have |
| took a motor-launch through the Matla River to | | | | to make a living out of the forests or the river, |
| an island camp near Sajnekhali. Jungle expeditions | | | | collecting honey or catching fish. Both these |
| and folk culture programmes were planned at the | | | | professions are fraught with danger to life. |
| camp and community interactions at the | | | | Frequent casualties happen either by being prey |
| surrounding villages were in the itinerary too. I | | | | to the tiger or the Crock in the river. The |
| would be the interpreter and facilitator on the | | | | settlement we were visiting now had as many as |
| community interface. | | | | 300 widows, having lost their spouses to either of |
| The boat cruises through the web of rivulets | | | | these foes or to diseases or hurricanes in the sea. |
| over the first two days during the stay was | | | | There is a tradition of worshipping the 'Bon Bibi', or |
| unrewarding as far as spotting of the big cat was | | | | the forest goddess by the womenfolk here. Each |
| concerned. After all, the animal isn't ever trusting | | | | season when their men enter the forest to |
| of the human. However it could be imagined with | | | | gather honey, the wives would perform special |
| a fair degree of certainty that during our errands | | | | oblation to appease the goddess so that their |
| many of the striped Sultans would have kept a | | | | men return safe. And in a show of expiation, they |
| watchful eye on us but it wouldn't reveal its | | | | would also take on temporary widowhood till their |
| presence. Our team however sighted large bevy | | | | men actually returned. That's the way of life |
| of spotted deer and drift of wild boars, the main | | | | when human and animals have to share a nature |
| prey of the tiger occasionally, alongside wonderful | | | | domain. |
| birds and other animals. | | | | Despite the compulsions of man to sustain in an |
| Crocodiles scattered around the banks basking in | | | | environment of nature conservation, I believe |
| the morning sun was a regular sight. They would | | | | there is a positive side to it. The majesty of the |
| quickly slip into the water the moment our boat | | | | Bengal tiger although considered a threat to their |
| came at close distance. To think of the dozens of | | | | existence by the locals, is in effect a direct check |
| these big-jaw reptiles now swimming under the | | | | on the wilful onslaught of nature by unconcerned |
| vessel as we passed by, in itself was an eerie | | | | people. Consider it this way; the threat of the |
| feeling. | | | | tiger in the jungle and the Crocks in the river has |
| On the third day after the morning fog lifted, we | | | | been the major discouragement for the |
| took a country boat trip to a neighbouring island | | | | communities living here from deforesting the area |
| village for the foreign visitors to have a hands-on | | | | and expanding human activities. And the clear |
| experience of the community life of the | | | | upshot is -- advantage conservation. |
| inhabitants. As we settled in the hold of the boat, | | | | Tiger poaching in Sunderban has never been a |
| I asked the boatman if he knew of the presence | | | | matter of deep concern since the elusive beast is |
| of any tiger around that we could spot during this | | | | always hard to get at in the difficult terrain of the |
| short journey. He appeared a bit tensed and | | | | deltaic forests. Yet, wood plundering was a |
| offered a nonchalantly reply, 'the same old story | | | | growing threat on conservation of this eco |
| Sir, last night Hiru a youth was taken away from | | | | system. Happily in recent years there has been |
| his boat by the tiger, after he fell asleep.' All this | | | | alternative livelihood for these people connected |
| happened at a place close to the camp we | | | | to eco tourism in the area. The initiative of private |
| stayed. So the tiger was in the backyard, yet | | | | players involving communities here to set up |
| none could sense it, not even the victim. | | | | green tourism facilities has become a good option |
| That's the cunning of the beast. It would patiently | | | | for the poor indigenous people to eke out their |
| stalk, keep the human target in sight until he | | | | living. Sunderban now is a wonderful location to |
| drops his guard and then stealthily pounce and | | | | enjoy in the real sense of eco tourism. |
| make a swift getaway before others could react. | | | | Until next time... |