Tales from Indian Countryside

The Sundarbans are the largest mangrove delta in the world, and cover the geographical area of both India and Bangladesh. This delta is a biodiversity hotspot and home to many species of flora and fauna; the most magnificent of which is the Royal Bengal Tiger.
I had the privilege of visiting an island village of Sundarbans called Satjalia Island earlier this year, and not only caught a glimpse of the simple hardworking ways of the village life, but also had an encounter with a Royal Bengal Tigress.

I reached the village one winter afternoon after crossing four river tributaries which costed me less than a quarter. The village had no hospitals, schools and electricity. People still depended on candles and kerosene lanterns at night. I was greeted into the village with the news of a man being taken away by a tiger two days ago. The news was delivered in a way one would expect two people to discuss yesterday's match results. My confusion about this behavior was satisfied when during my evening walk in the village, i came across a lane which the locals called the Widow Lane because every house in the lane had a male member snatched away by the tigers. Upon further inquiry I learnt that the high saline content and the harsh terrain in the mangrove forests make it impossible for the tigers to survive on just other herbivores, and thus they prey on men who visit the jungles to collect honey and fish. All tigers of Sundarbans are man-eaters without exception, and every day a man goes to the jungle, he has a fifty fifty chance of returning back.

The next day early morning, with a few locals in a boat, we set for the interior mangrove forests. The forest officials do not allow tourists to set foot on the shores due to the tigers which can easily be hidden in the mangroves and the crocodiles which lurk just below the surface of the water. After an entire day of spotting deer and crocodiles, we were finally lucky to hear the roar of the elusive tiger, and a few minutes later saw a beautiful tigress.

There is something terrifyingly awe inspiring about seeing a tiger roam in it's natural habitat, and I was mesmerized by what I saw. Right after seeing the tigress though, due to some technical issues in the engine the boat refused to move, and we spend a panicked half an hour before the forest officials came to rescue us. I spend the night dreaming of tigers of course and left the next day with a higher appreciation of life.