Only this time, the aggressors were not human.
The 15-year-old tiger had strayed into Tridibnagar village of Jharkhali in Sunderbans, swimming across the Herobhanga river. And somewhere along the way, it had its left hind leg behind — bitten off at the knee by sharks roaming the Sunderbans waters.
The eight-feet animal is now being brought to Alipore Zoological Gardens for treatment.
Panic had gripped the village last night when the locals had spotted pugmarks. The fact that this was the second such incident in a week only heightened the tension.
On being informed, forest department officials rushed into the village and laid a trap. A goat was used as bait.
Early this morning, the tiger was finally caged and in the evening, the officials headed for Kolkata with it.
“The injury looks a month old. Maybe this made it difficult for him to hunt and made him stray into human localities for easy prey. It is not fit enough to be released into the wild,” said Niraj Singal, Field Director, Sunderbans Tiger Reserve.
The state forest department is already planning a rescue centre at Jharkhali to treat animals. “But the details are yet to be finalised,” said a senior forest official.
Last Sunday, a pregnant tigress had travelled 30 km from the deep forest to enter Deulbari village in the same district.
She was severely tortured by villagers before being rescued by forest department officials and released into the wild.