A forest worker was seriously injured after being attacked by a Royal Bengal Tiger while attempting to capture the big cat in Kultali’s Maipith area in South 24-Parganas. The injured worker, identified as Ganesh Shyamal, has been admitted to SSKM hospital in a critical condition. Following the incident, the forest department has deployed tranquilisers, cages, and other necessary equipment to capture the tiger. The terrifying incident took place when the tiger suddenly leaped out of the jungle and attempted to drag the forest worker away by biting his neck. Other forest officials immediately rushed to his rescue, using sticks to fend off the tiger. A fierce struggle ensued between the officials and the wild animal, as locals watched in horror. Reports suggested that the presence of the tiger in the Kultali Block’s Maipith-Baikunthapur gram panchayat area has sparked panic among villagers since Sunday night.
Forest officials from the Nalgora beat office, under the Raidighi Range had been monitoring the situation closely. Authorities had also alerted the Maipith Coastal police station. To prevent the tiger from entering the village at night, forest officials had placed nylon nets near the Nagenabad 9 Mular jetty ghat. While the barrier managed to keep the tiger from entering the village, fresh pugmarks were spotted near the net in the morning, confirming its presence in the area. This led to a planned operation to capture the tiger. During the operation, members of the local tiger team attempted to trap the animal. However, in a sudden attack, the tiger pounced on Ganesh Shyamal, sinking its teeth into his neck. His colleagues rushed to his aid, striking the tiger with sticks to force it to release its grip. Speaking on the incident, Nisha Goswami, an official from the South 24-Parganas forest division, stated, “We received information about a tiger entering a human settlement in Kultali. Our team reached the spot and tried to drive the tiger away. However, during the operation, the tiger unexpectedly attacked a forest worker. He has been rescued and taken to the hospital for treatment.”