Home of ‘tiger widows’ where husbands went to work but didn’t return alive

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Thousands of men are believed to have been mauled to death by tigers near an Indian village.

Their wives – dubbed the "tiger widows" – claim their husbands were brutally killed by the fearsome predators while out working in the jungle close to South 24 Parganas.

A staggering 3,000 woman are understood to have been widowed.

Pradip Chatterjee, president of the Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum, which represents fisherman in the area, told Vice News the figure was a "moderate estimate".

About 60 people in the area are thought to have been killed by tigers since April last year.

Mr Chatterjee said many villagers prefer catching crabs and fish, and collecting honey, and in the jungle can earn 700 rupees (£7), rather than bringing home just £2 labouring in neighbouring in towns.

He added that only a quarter of the 60,000 jungle workers have the required permits, with many venturing into restricted zones teaming with tigers.

"They don't ask for compensation fearing legal action. They are even scared to report deaths," he said.

Tapas Das, field director at the Sundarban tiger reserve, said the official death toll from tiger attacks was only 21, but just four were eligible for compensation.

Under government rules, anyone attacked by tigers in no-entry zones doesn't qualify for compensation.

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Haridasi Mandal, whose husband Haren, 46, was killed by a tiger in 2014, said she "lives with the fear of losing another member of the family to the forest," after her son began working in the jungle.

Sulata Mandal, 35, said her husband, Sujit, was killed in April last year.

"My children have made me promise to never go to the forest again. But I am earning very little now doing these odd jobs," she said.

"Unless I find an option to make enough to run the house, I will have to go back to the forests."

The Indian government claims about 40 to 50 people die from tiger attacks each year.

  • Animals
  • Family

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