The foresters of the East Sundarbans are literally living in fear for their lives, as multiple tiger footprints were spotted in front of Sharankhola Range office in Bagerhat. Photo : BSS

KHULNA, July 12, 2025 (BSS) - The foresters of the East Sundarbans are literally living in fear for their lives, as multiple tiger footprints were spotted in front of Sharankhola Range office in Bagerhat.

Foresters' normal activities have been disrupted as the Royal Bengal Tigers has entered in the Shoronkhola Range Office premises twice in last week. The foresters finds the presence of tiger when the Sundarbans king attacked on wild boars and deer near the office on July 5 that compelled to blank fire to run away the tiger.

Md Khalilur Rahman, Ranger of Sharankhola Forest Station, said that the Royal Bengal again attacked wild life including deer that triggered at least 10 deer took shelter in the safe places near the Sharankhola Range Office on Friday. The foresters later blank fired after seeing the footprints near the office.

"Forest guards did not come out of the office in last 24 hours since Friday due to fear of tigers. There is now fear of tigers among forest guards and forest workers. Since on Saturday (today) morning, wild boars have not been seen roaming in the range and station office premises like other days. It is believed that the tiger is still hiding near the Range office," he said.

Some forest guards said that the forest on the eastern side of the Sharankhola Range and Station office is surrounded by nylon fencing. Some wild boars are trapped in this enclosure and roam among the small jungle and bushes.
 
Apart from this, some wild boars come into the office yard from under the fencing. The forest guards believe that that the tigers are probably coming near the office again and again, lured by deer.

Rana Dev, the Sharankhola Range Officer (ACF) of the Eastern Sundarbans Forest Division, said that the tiger is approaching the office along the Bhola River, adjacent to the Range office.

A tiger roamed over an area of the Range office, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans East Division Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury. "The increase in tiger pressure in the Sundarbans is good news for us," he added.
 

The Sundarbans is the habitat of the Royal Bengal Tigers. Tigers can roam anywhere in the forest, which is a natural occurrence. The DFO said that there is nothing to worry about the forest guards. 

Even in different areas of the Sundarbans, tigers are seen roaming more than before, he said. They believe that the number of tigers in the Sundarbans has increased.

With this, tigers have left the Sundarbans and entered the locality more than 50 times in the last 16 years. During this time, both man and tiger have lost their lives due to counter-attacks.

Hundreds of small and large tiger footprints were also spotted in various areas including, crop fields and muddy roads.

Currently, more than half of the total area of the Sundarbans is reserved forest. And the Royal Bengal Tiger is more or less roaming the entire Sundarbans.

According to the information from the Forest Department, from 2001 to 2024, 28 tigers died in various ways in the Sundarbans East Division. 

Of these, 14 were killed by miscreants, five by mob lynching, eight natural deaths and one in Cyclone Sidr. Besides, 19 hides of tigers were recovered.