A honey collector was seriously injured in an alleged tiger attack in the Sundarbans while searching for honey, highlighting the constant dangers faced by forest-dependent communities in Bangladesh’s mangrove wilderness.
A honey collector was injured in an alleged tiger attack while collecting honey in the Sundarbans under the Satkhira range, fellow collectors said on Monday.
The attack took place around 8:00am on Sunday in the Pairatuni canal area of Kachikhata. Nearly 24 hours later, at around 7:30am on Monday, fellow collectors brought the injured man back to the locality before taking him to Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex for treatment.
The injured man was identified as Babul Gazi, 48, son of Malek Gazi from Dumuria village in Gabura union of Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira.
Yusuf Gazi, a honey collector who led the group, said an 11-member team entered the Sundarbans on Wednesday after obtaining a valid permit from the Burigoalini Station under the Forest Department’s Satkhira range.
He said Babul Gazi and his father Malek Gazi were also among the group members.
On Sunday morning, several members of the team climbed trees in search of honeycombs in the Pairatuni canal area. Babul was slightly ahead of the others when a tiger suddenly leapt on him from behind a bush, according to fellow collectors.
The other collectors said they rushed to his rescue and attacked the tiger with sticks. After around 15 minutes of struggle, they managed to drive the animal away and rescue Babul.
He was initially taken to a nearby forest-adjacent area where he received primary treatment before being brought back to the locality.
“Suddenly the tiger grabbed my son. Then, taking Allah’s name, several of us jumped at it with sticks,” said Malek Gazi, the victim’s father.
“After a lot of struggle, we managed to rescue my son. However, he suffered serious injuries in different parts of his body,” he added.
Another honey collector, Arafat Gazi, said people who enter the Sundarbans to collect honey regularly face life-threatening dangers from tigers, crocodiles and forest robbers.
Fazlul Haque, an official at the Burigoalini Station under the Forest Department’s Satkhira range, said authorities had learned that a honey collector was injured in a tiger attack.
However, he said the injured man’s family had not yet contacted the department directly and officials were inquiring about his treatment.
