Surviving a Tiger Attack in the Sundarbans, West Bengal

The Sundarbans West Wildlife Sanctuary in Bangladesh is home to a wide diversity of fauna
The Sundarbans West Wildlife Sanctuary in Bangladesh is home to a wide diversity of fauna | © Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman / Alamy Stock Photo
Amar Grover

Two decades ago, a local honey collector came face to face with a Bengal tiger in the Sundarbans, a mangrove forest on the border between India and Bangladesh that is notoriously famous for its man-eating tigers, and lived to tell the tale.

In almost countless shrines and temples dotting the hamlets and pancake-flat fields bordering the Sundarbans, you’ll see the same striking tableau. There, among the altar’s diminutive human figurines, is a garish snarling tiger, its open mouth and bared teeth seemingly seconds away from dispatching its victim, typically a helpless cowering toddler.

speech icon man in bubble

Destinations Unlocked:

Let our travel expert Stefano help you find your perfect Culture trip

Looking for an expert's perspective?

Uncover my top 3 recommended places from each continent on the map.
speech icon man in bubble
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

GORGEOUS GUATEMALA

Gorgeous Guatemala

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

1. Guatemala

An express adventure for those with limited time off. Prepare yourself incredible experiences. You will hike a volcano, visit mayan temples and witness a ceremony and take in beautiful colonial Antigua.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

BEACHY BELIZE

Beachy Belize

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

2. Belize

A quick trip not too far away for those seeking a relaxing mini break. You will have plenty of free time to relax but also some awesome activities to experience the rainforest and the caribbean sea.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

CentralAmerica

COLONIAL MEXICO

Colonial Mexico

5 days . Mini
speech icon man in bubble

3. Mexico

An exciting mini trip exploring the lesser known colonial towns of central Mexico. This is hte perfect trip for someone with limited time off and still wants to turn on explorer mode and do something different.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

SouthAmerica

ADVENTUROUS ECUADOR

Adventurous Ecuador

8 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Ecuador

A remarkable 8 days adventure through the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. The best choice for adventure seekers wishing to visit the 2 most iconic areas of South America, in only 1 week and no flights.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

SouthAmerica

ANCIENT PERU

Ancient Peru

9 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Peru

An alternative itinerary to classic Peru, from Cusco to Arequipa. This itinerary is great combination of highlights Cusco and Machu Picchu with the lesser known Arequipa and Colca Canyon.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Europe

SEDUCTIVE SOUTHERN ITALY

Seductive Southern Italy

10 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Italy

The ultimate Italian experience from the vibrant streets of Naples to the breathtaking sceneries of the Amalfi Coast followed by Matera and down to Puglia with its golden beaches, intense flavours and fascinating destinations.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Europe

EDINBURGH AND THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS BY TRAIN

Edinburgh And The Scottish Highlands By Train

7 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

2. Scotland

Embark on this great adventure starting from London all the way to Scotland with a true Scottish experience made of breathtaking sceneries, whisky tasting and ..lots of fun! Ideal for train lovers and explorers.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Europe

COMPLETE PORTUGAL BY TRAIN

Complete Portugal By Train

8 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

3. Portugal

A wonderful train journey around Portugal, from the romantic city of Porto to the Douro Valley, to the beautiful Aveiro all the way to Lisbon and Sintra. The perfect trip to train, culinary and culture lovers.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Asia

SOULFUL SOUTH KOREA

Soulful South Korea

10 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. South Korea

Discover incredible temples, mountains and modern cities on this 10 day adventure. This trip is perfect for those seeking immersion in the cuisine, culture and natural wonders of South Korea.

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Asia

THAILAND, CAMBODIA & VIETNAM

Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam

11 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Thailand

From Bankgok to Angkor Wat to Ho Chi Minh City and everything in between - adventure through the heart of South-East Asia. Taste the delights, see history brought to life and unwind on a Mekong River cruise.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Asia

SECRETS OF SRI LANKA BY TRAIN

Secrets Of Sri Lanka By Train

10 days . Culture
speech icon man in bubble

3. Sri Lanka

A fantastic adventure that showcases Sri Lanka's fantastic landscapes, wildlife and flavours. With 3 epic rail journeys, 3 UNESCO heritage sites and time to relax, this trip has loads to offer at a great price
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

left arrow trip map

Africa

EPIC MOROCCO

Epic Morocco

11 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

1. Morocco

An epic journey across Morocco: from Casablanca to Marrakech, through the blue city of Chefchaouen to the wonders of the desert and deep to the High Atlas Mountains - this trip has it all! Ideal for true explorers!

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Africa

ULTIMATE EGYPT

Ultimate Egypt

9 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

2. Egypt

From Cairo to Aswan, this trip brings the land of the pharaohs to life. You'll visit the Pyramids, Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple and cruise down the Nile in style. This is the perfect way to explore Egypt.
left arrow previous slide

Next

right arrow next slide
left arrow trip map

Africa

IMMERSIVE KENYA

Immersive Kenya

8 days . Epic
speech icon man in bubble

3. Kenya

An immersive blend of culture and wildlife for first time travelers to Africa. Learn about Nairobi, sample local coffee in the Aberdares and finish up with a fantastic safari stay in the Masai Mara.
left arrow previous slide

Back to Map

The Royal Bengal tiger is native to the Sundarbans

The story of Banbibi (also known as Bandevi), the guardian or goddess of the forests, is one of the best-known folk tales of the Sundarbans region. Spread among the vast creek-veined, island-filled estuaries of several rivers in the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is among the world’s largest mangrove forests. Now a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage site, its over 10,000 square kilometres (108,000sq ft) are shared between India’s West Bengal state and neighbouring Bangladesh.

Like the boundless mangroves themselves, the Banbibi/Bandevi tale straddles cultures as well as countries. For both the Hindus and Muslims in the region, these deities are acknowledged and appeased if not worshipped outright – especially before foraging for wild honey, collecting wood and fishing trips.

Shrines featuring tiger statues are ubiquitous in the Sundarbans

In local lore, Banbibi’s arch-rival is Dakshin Rai, the ‘god of beasts’, who bears more than a passing resemblance to a tiger whose form he often cunningly adopts. On an extended honey-collecting foray deep into the forest, Dhona, a simple villager accompanied by his young nephew Dhuke, carelessly forgets to appease Dakshin with a suitable offering.

So, as the days pass, Dhona’s foraging proves fruitless. Then, in an unsettling dream, wicked Dakshin promises honey and wax in return for the sacrifice of the helpless child. Abandoned by the amoral Dhona to his ghastly fate and about to be mauled by a tiger, Dhuke remembers his mother’s advice to implore goddess Banbibi in times of trouble. His exhortations pay off, and he eventually returns home safely on the back of a crocodile. The deities agree a kind of respectful truce, but Banbibi’s stock has risen; henceforth, and to this day, she is the Sundarbans’ essential go-to goddess.

***

Twenty-four years ago, villager Binoy Mondol and 12 adult companions set off for the forest to collect honey just like the fabled Dhona. As with countless past expeditions, their humble skiff headed south away from Dayapur island. They paddled into a maze of meandering creeks and mostly mangrove-lined channels dotted with phoenix palms. To unaccustomed eyes, they all still seem virtually identical, their flat muddy profiles and navigability constantly changing with muscular daily tides.

By now the tide was out, and thick gloopy mud smudged the peculiar spiky roots of endless thick mangroves. Having moved away from another moored skiff, Binoy’s group eventually found a suitable spot near swamp forest to drop anchor.

“Suddenly I glanced up…and saw the tiger just yards away. It looked like it was about to pounce on my friend. Some of the others panicked and fell into the water, then somehow it seemed I was closest to the animal.”

In the mad fleeting chaos, Binoy grabbed the tiger’s ear just as it sprang. He flung mud at its face and probably right into its eyes, an act that surely saved him despite the tiger’s lunge. The animal retreated, and Binoy and his terrified companions sailed back to Dayapur where, badly wounded, Binoy spent 12 semi-delirious days in a basic hospital. The friend he tried to save didn’t fare quite so well; after going into shock, he eventually succumbed to fever.

In the light of a flickering campfire, 70-year-old Binoy raises his shirt to reveal a dimpled ribcage and an ugly scar. “It took me seven years to [pluck up the courage and] return to the forest…but after fishing and crabbing, this is the only job I know.” His was, and remains, the riskiest undertaking, for it is honey collectors who venture deepest into the forest, often crawling unprotected through dense undergrowth with minimal vision. Yet, he was attacked in the open by a boat, showing that even fishermen are at risk.

For centuries, the region has been synonymous with terrifying beasts, among them crocodiles, sharks and snakes, but tigers have loomed largest. The 9th-century Pala Dynasty inscriptions refer to a “forested seashore infested with tigers”. In the mid-1600s, French physician-traveller François Bernier noted how they swam from island to island and suggested that boats should be tethered at a distance from shore because tigers were apt to skulk aboard and carry away sleeping sailors, usually the “stoutest and fattest”.

A salt-water crocodile lurks in the Sundarbans

Even the typically sanguine British seemed rattled by the Sundarbans tigers’ reputation. When the son of Sir Hector Munro MP – former army officer and Raj-era grandee – was killed in 1792 while hunting deer, the incident became a cause célèbre widely reported in the British media and retold many more times in natural history tomes and adventure tales for children.

Later, as the Raj glimpsed lucrative opportunities in the region’s swamp forests, land was cleared for workers’ settlements. But it was soon apparent that man-eaters were a serious obstacle, and from 1883 administrators announced the first of a series of increasing bounties for tiger skins and skulls.

Depending on how you look at it, Binoy was lucky. According to a World Wide Fund for Nature-India study, between 1985 and 2008, 789 people were attacked by tigers in the Sundarbans, out of which 666 died. In 2018 alone, tigers claimed at least 12 victims in and around the tiger reserve. Most incidents now occur only when villagers venture into the forests and mangroves.

For decades, the authorities have been trying to reduce man-tiger conflict, but the pressures – population, environmental, dwindling resources and land – remain considerable. Measures range from the prosaic to the exotic.

Nearly 100 kilometres (62mi) of nylon fencing separating fields from forest has helped stem tigers from straying into villages. Inspired by nature’s own false eye-spot defence, from the late 1980s forest-gatherers and fishermen were issued with moulded face-masks to be worn on the backs of their heads. Tigers generally attack from behind and the guise appeared, at least initially, to have worked. Yet, swayed in part by the animal’s reputation for stealth and cunning, these days not everyone is convinced. Even Binoy admits to brandishing one simply for appearances and regulations: “They’re uncomfortable,” he laments, belying a more complex attitude to these city-folk imports.

The last published tiger census in 2018 estimated 88 tigers residing in the protected reserve, with perhaps 20 in adjoining areas. Their numbers appear to be on the rise. Last year, citing evidence gained from over 400 pairs of camera traps, local media reported tiger sightings in places that had never previously recorded them.

No one is certain why they’re so aggressive. Speculation ranges from the particularly saline water rendering them constantly irritable – and so compelled to offset the salt with ‘sweet’ flesh – to regular cyclone fatalities habituating them to easy human meals. Long inhabiting such a wild and isolated region, they might simply be born fearless. Or perhaps in this tough watery environment where they willingly swim for miles, virtually anything that moves is worthy prey.

Binoy now seems almost philosophical about his encounter. “I went into his den,” he says, “the tiger didn’t come to mine.” The respect may not be mutual, but for Binoy’s part it’s rather more than grudging. “Without tigers,” he says, “the forest would probably be gone.”

culture trip left arrow
 culture trip brand logo

Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

women sitting on iceberg

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?

I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

culture trip logo letter c
group posing for picture on iceberg
group posing for picture on iceberg

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

map of volcanic iceland trip destination points
culture trip brand logo
culture trip right arrow
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

X

Holiday Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

Edit article