A tiger that strayed into Maipith’s jungles in the Sundarbans, was finally captured early this morning, thanks to the relentless efforts of forest officials.

The operation took a dangerous turn when the tiger attacked and severely injured a forest department worker, Ganesh Sasmal. The presence of tigers in the surrounding forests is not uncommon, and villagers remain cautious. Occasionally, tigers wander into human settlements, but the brutal way in which this tiger mauled the forest officer shocked the residents. The injured officer is currently undergoing treatment at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata and recovering from critical conditions. Krishnendu Goswami, from National Bureau of Social Investigation and Social Justice(NBSISJ), a public organisation of India, said that their organisation wrote to Union forest department to take a comprehensive plan to prevent man and animal conflict.

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“Basic eco-system of Sunderbans has been affected since a long time, so both people of Sunderbans and animals are suffering. Both the central government and state must jointly see the matter,” he said. The tiger was first spotted on Monday when it suddenly emerged from the jungle. A local resident, who saw it from a close distance, managed to save himself by quickly climbing a tree. Unfortunately, a forest worker was not as lucky, he was attacked, and the tiger bit his head. Fellow forest officials rushed to rescue him, but the tiger disappeared into the dense forest. Despite an extensive search throughout the day, the tiger remained elusive.

At night, forest officials set up a trap with a live goat as bait. Around 3.30 am, the sound of the cage door shutting alerted them. Upon checking, they found the tiger inside, feasting on the bait. It was immediately secured in the cage.

According to divisional forest officer (DFO) Nisha Goswami, the captured tiger is a 10-year-old male. Initial observations suggest that it was extremely hungry, which likely led it to venture into human habitation in search of food. The forest department has arranged for a health check-up, after which the tiger will be released deep into the forest. This incident once again highlights the delicate balance between human settlements and wildlife in the Sundarbans, where such encounters remain a constant threat.