Villagers fear Royal Bengal Tiger in vicinity

Villagers of Gobardhanpur village of the Sunderbans in Patharpratima block in South 24 Parganas district today informed the state forest department about an adult Royal Bengal Tiger entering the village late last night and remaining in the vicinity.
Forest department officials said the villagers had seen pug marks of an adult tiger and had alerted the department officials.
"Our people are camping the village after assessing the pug marks. They will try to locate the tiger and push it back deep in the forests tonight," said a senior forest department official.
Meanwhile, a group of fishermen today reached Moipeeth police station near Kultali with the body of one of their group members, who was mauled by a tiger in the jungles, the police said.

Six fishermen from Deulbari village of Kultali had sailed on December 19 for fishing crabs and on December 21, one of their group members, Hamid Ali Sheikh, was attacked by an adult tiger.
"Though other fishermen tried to snatch Hamid away from the tiger and eventually succeeded, the tiger had by that time killed the person. The body was brought back by other members of the group today and has been sent for post mortem," a senior police officer said.