The residents of six villages near the Sundarbans are literally living in fear for their lives as a hundred footprints of two tigers were spotted in Sonatala village of Bagerhat’s Sharonkhola. Two tigers left the Sundarbans and crossed the Bhola river and entered the village early hours of Thursday (January 12) and roamed over an area of about one kilometer of Sonatala village, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans East Division Muhammad Belayet Hossain. Later, the forest department, Village Tiger Response Team (VTRT), Community Patrolling Group (CPG) and villagers searched various areas throughout the day in search of the tigers. However, no tiger was found in that village till Thursday evening, he added. Read more: Tiger census: Installation of cameras begins in Sundarbans The two tigers went back to the forest after roaming different places in that village, claimed the Forest Department after tracing all the footprints the tigers left on the ground. However, villagers were advised to stay on alert, and have just spent an anxious weekend remaining vigilant. With this, tigers have left the Sundarbans and entered the locality more than 50 times in the last 15 years. During this time, both man and tiger have lost their lives due to counter-attacks. Villagers demanded effective measures to prevent tigers from entering the locality. Harun Bhadda of Sonatala village said that he woke up early in the morning and saw hundreds of the unmistakable imprints of the tiger's paw around his house. Ever since seeing them, his entire family has been gripped by fear of tigers. Read More: Panic after tiger strays into Satkhira village In Sonatala village, the Bhola River has almost filled up with silt and has only two to two-and-a-half feet of water. In the Tajur Gate area under the Bhola camp of the Sharonkhola range of the Sundarbans East Division, countless tiger footprints were spotted on the river bed.

A fisherman was injured by a Royal Bengal Tiger on the Bhola river in Chandpai Range of the Sundarbans on Sunday morning. Abu Saleh Akon, 45, son of Amir Ali of Bajikarkhand village in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat district, survived the attack. He has been making his living by fishing in the Sundarbans for almost 30 years. He is currently undergoing treatment at Mongla Upazila Health Complex. According to family sources, Abu Saleh and Md Hanif went to catch fish and crabs in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans when a tiger attacked Abu Saleh while he was netting in Amurbunia area of Bhola river around 8am. At one point, Abu Saleh jumped into the river and the tiger left him and returned to the forest. Also read: The big cat count: Tiger census in Sunderbans begins in April Later, Hanif rescued him and rushed him to the Health Complex. Faisal Hossain Swarna, a doctor at the Health Complex, said there are several marks created by tiger's paws and teeth on the fisherman’s body. “But he is out of danger now.” However, Jahangir Alam, Jiudhara station officer of Chandpai range in the eastern part of the Sundarbans, said that Abu Saleh had entered the forest without permission from the Forest Department. “It was not possible for the Forest Department to provide any assistance to the fisherman as he entered the forest without permission.” Also read: Tiger recovered from Sundarbans canal most likely died of natural causes Muhammad Belayet Hossain, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Eastern Division of the Sundarbans, said the matter is being investigated. At least 50 fishermen and beekeepers from Sharankhola, Morelganj and Mongla upazilas adjacent to the Sundarbans in Bagerhat got injured in tiger attacks in 20 years. Some have lost their eyes in these attacks.

Two ‘poachers’ were killed in an attack by a tiger at Talpotti of the Sundarbans (West) on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Ratan, 35, and Mizanur Rahman, 40, of Koikhali village in Shyamnagar upazila. Also read: