A chilling tiger attack in West Bengal’s Sundarbans has claimed the life of 45-year-old fisherman Rampad Burman, the second such incident in just seven days. Hailing from Kalidaspur village under Gosaba police station in South 24 Parganas, Burman was legally crabbing in the tiger territory when disaster struck.
On Tuesday, Burman and his team entered the forest with valid permits. Midway through their expedition, a stealthy tiger lunged from the underbrush, savagely attacking him. Courageous efforts by his mates drove the predator away, allowing them to ferry the critically injured man to shore and then to a local clinic. Tragically, he could not be saved.
Authorities from Sundarbans Coastal Police responded swiftly, dispatching the remains for autopsy. Forest official Nisha Goswami noted, ‘These individuals follow protocols, yet the risks remain high. Awareness campaigns stress vigilance, firecrackers, and masks at the back of the head.’
This archipelago of mangroves, famed for its man-eating tigers, witnesses dozens of such attacks annually. Driven by poverty, locals delve into forbidden zones for crabs and honey, often paying with their lives. Burman’s grieving family—wife and two kids—now faces an uncertain future.
Recall the horror of February 8: A crab catcher near Patharpratima was hauled into the woods by a tiger right before his spouse’s eyes, his corpse found a day later. Conservation successes have boosted tiger populations to around 106, but at what cost to human safety?
Solutions like solar fencing, community patrols, and eco-tourism jobs are floated, but implementation lags. This spate of deaths serves as a grim reminder: balancing wildlife protection with human survival in the Sundarbans demands innovative, immediate action.