A Royal Bengal Tiger swam across the Bhola River from the Sundarbans and roamed through a forest-adjacent village before returning to the jungle, leaving numerous pugmarks spanning nearly half a kilometre from the riverbank char to near residential homesteads.
However, doubt has arisen among the residents of the char over whether the big cat has returned to the forest or remains hidden in local bushes, sparking widespread panic across the forest-adjacent village.
Local residents first spotted the tiger’s pugmarks on Monday morning in the Panirghat area of Sonatola village, situated in Southkhali Union under Sarankhola Upazila of Bagerhat, adjacent to the Sundarbans.
Upon receiving the news, members of the Forest Department, the Village Tiger Response Team (VTRT), and the Community Patrol Group (CPG) initiated precautionary patrols in the area, while warnings were broadcast over loudspeakers advising villagers to move about with caution.
The Forest Department said that it remains on high alert regarding the movement of the tiger around the banks of the Bhola River and the nearby Sonatola village. Forest officials inspected the site after being informed of the pugmarks and initially suspect that the tiger swam across the river into human habitation early in the morning and later crossed back into the Sundarbans.
According to local residents and VTRT members, Abdul Latif Hawlader, a local fisherman residing on the Bhola char, first noticed the pugmarks early in the morning when he went to the riverbank char.
He immediately alerted local VTRT members, and as the news spread, concern and panic gripped the villagers. Announcements were promptly made via the local mosque’s loudspeaker to warn everyone, and the Forest Department was notified.
Md Zakaria Hossain, team leader of the local VTRT, said clear tiger pugmarks were visible across an area of nearly half a kilometre along the riverbank and around homesteads. He confirmed that villagers were alerted immediately, and VTRT and CPG members, alongside forest guards, are currently patrolling the area while using hand-mikes to urge residents to exercise caution.
Zakaria added that this section of the Bhola River remains unprotected, noting that whilst nylon rope fencing exists in other areas, it is absent here, allowing tigers, deer, and wild boars from the forest to cross freely into human settlements.
He mentioned that wild boars cross over daily and destroy crops, speculating that the tiger may have entered the village in pursuit of wild boars. He demanded the installation of a fencing barrier in the area to ensure the safety of local residents.
East Sundarbans Sarankhola Range Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Md Shariful Islam said that officials inspected the site after being informed. He expressed the belief that the tiger had entered the locality and returned to the forest, adding that residents have been advised to remain cautious.
Forest guards, VTRT, and CPG members have been directed to maintain a watch over the area for the next four to five days.
ACF Shariful urged local residents not to panic but to stay vigilant, advising them against going near the riverbank char, forest edges, and bushes alone, particularly during early morning hours and after dusk.
He also called on villagers to remain careful whilst grazing livestock and attending to daily chores outdoors.
