Five fishermen risked their lives to snatch a companion from the jaws of a Bengal tigress on Saturday evening in the Sundarbans delta, striking the animal repeatedly with bamboo poles and oars until she retreated.
The victim, Nikhil Mondal, 43, was catching crabs in a narrow creek with five others when the tigress suddenly pounced on him and started dragging him towards
the forest.
His five companions sprang into action, attacking the tigress in a desperate struggle that ultimately forced her to release Mondal.
Mondal, however, suffered grievous injuries and is now battling for his life at the Basirhat Subdivisional Hospital.
The incident took place in the Boritala forest area in North 24-Parganas district, within the Sundarbans delta.
According to local sources, six fishermen from Samsernagar, known as the last village in the Indian Sundarbans, located in North 24-Parganas under the Hemnagar coastal belt, had ventured into the forest creeks on Thursday in two small boats to catch crabs, a risky livelihood that villagers increasingly rely upon in the fragile ecosystem.
On Saturday evening, while they were engaged in catching crabs near Boritala, the men noticed a pair of tiger cubs playing along the creek bank — an ominous sign indicating the presence of their mother nearby.
“It was close to dusk and visibility was fading when we saw the cubs playing near the bank as we moved along the creek. We immediately realised that a tigress must be nearby and tried to retreat quickly. But before we could move to safety, the tigress made a huge leap onto our boat and attacked Nikhil, knocking him into the water,” said one of the fishermen.
What followed was a fierce and life-threatening confrontation.
As the tigress clamped her powerful jaws around Mondal’s neck and attempted to drag him into the forest, the other five fishermen launched a frantic counterattack.
“It was a chilling moment for us; we were almost paralysed with fear. But somehow we gathered courage and decided to fight back to save Nikhil,” said Govinda Mondal, one of the rescuers. “He is, after all, one of us.”
“We grabbed bamboo poles and parts of the boat and began striking the tigress repeatedly. Though she was momentarily stunned, she continued dragging Nikhil, biting his neck, head and shoulders. Nikhil, despite his injuries, also kept resisting her. The tigress refused to give up at first, but our relentless attack eventually forced her to retreat. We managed to pull Nikhil back and rushed him to the hospital, praying to Goddess Bonbibi for his life,” he added.
A doctor attending on Mondal said that he was critical.
“He has suffered multiple deep injuries from the tiger bites. He has also suffered significant blood loss, which has further complicated his condition,” the doctor said.
The incident once again underscores the persistent and often deadly man-animal conflict in the Sundarbans, where human habitation and tiger territory overlap in a fragile ecological balance.
For thousands of residents in the delta, poverty and lack of alternative employment compel them to venture deep into creeks and forests where tigers stay to catch crabs and prawns. Crab collection, in particular, has emerged as a primary source of livelihood for many families, despite the constant threat of tiger attacks. Each journey into the mangrove wilderness to search for crabs is fraught with danger.
“We have very few options to earn money. Farming does not pay here. Many men are compelled to migrate to south India to earn a living. Those who can’t go, like us, due to family obligations have to depend on crabbing even while risking their lives,” said Govinda Mondal.