Sundarbans' tiger population

The Sundarbans curved out by rivers and creeks,having two high tides and low tides every day, is the largest Mangrove forest in the world and the only Mangrove-Tiger habitat on earth. In the last Tiger census released in March,2011 by NTCA, the number of tigers was estimated at 70 only.For last one decade the State Forest Department has been reporting that as per their estimate, it is the home of 260-274 Tigers.
It is now learnt that WII in their latest report,has revised the figure and the number of Tigers has been estimated finally at 90.SaktiWild

Sundarbans is an amazing place. It is so completely different from our other landscapes, one needs to visit the place once to feel it.

I am not sure how the tigers and other mammals like deers etc drink the water due to its salinity. They don't have any salt gland like seabirds to expell the salt residue. Ofcourse, the salinity varies with the tide and they might have understood when to drink.

There are unverified claims by villagers that with increasing salinity tigers are moving further away and straying into the villages. With increasing human habitations, low prey density due to poaching and loss of habitat, the tigers are increasingly in danger. I hope that the Sundarbans tigers don't meet the sad end like the Sumatran rhino that got extinct from the swamps of Sundarbans.

Sabyasachi

Shri Sabyasachi,
Thank you so much for your objective views,as always.I would like to place the Hopes and Fears in my mind about Long Term Survival of The Sundarbans and its Tigers:
HOPES:
1) A large number of rectangular Sweet Water Ponds have been dug up in many Blocks inside the forest for harvesting Rain Water so as to reduce dependence on sweet-saline water of rivers and these are frequently visited by Spotted Deer,Wild Boar,Lizards,Cobras, Rhesus Monkey ,Tigers and Birds etc.
2)To increase prey population Pig Farming has been undertaken and periodic release to the forest is made.
3)A Spotted DEER acclimatisation centre has been set up at Dobanki deep inside the forest where spotted deer brought from other forests are kept in large enclosure.Recently about 70 such deer have been released to the forest.Results not known to me.
4)Special Nylon fencing on village-forest interface to reduce straying of Tigers has been made.But poachers cut the fencing at some places to enter into the forest mainly for killing Deer.
5)Though a number of Tigers straying (say about 8-10 every year)is reported not a single killing of human being or tiger inside village has taken place during last 2 years.The Tigers lift cattle,goats etc and go back to forest or if take shelter villagers inform Forest dept.who immobilise them and release them in far away core areas.Killing of human beings by Tigers takes place inside the forest during Fishing,Honey collection,wood cutting etc.
6)Villagers have more or less realised how Mangroves saved them from cyclones and why Bangladesh suffer so much.
FEARS:
1)Prey Predator ratio remains very low even after what have been done or is being done.
2)Due to global warming the level of water is going up.The Sundarbans is much affected because during HIGH TIDE the area available for Animals for taking shelter is shrinking.It is reported that Two Islands have gone under water while one New Island has emerged.
3)Increase in salinity of water.
Due to inaccessible terrain at many parts and presence of dreaded Maneaters(about 25%),I believe The Sundarbans will survive if Global Warming is controlled.
[It was one horned JAVAN Rhino which became very rare (Bengal District Gazetteer,1908) and later extinct along with Water Buffalo.]

The incident described below will confirm how AGILE a tiger could be.

KING COBRA vs.SUNDARBANS TIGER
About one year back, a Tiger was found dead deep inside the Sundarbans.Autopsy report revealed that the tiger has eaten One KING COBRA(and another snake) with Large Hood of the dead still remaining fully spread implying that the tiger has killed the king before it could strike as no venom was injected to the blood stream.During digestion the entire quantity of venom came out of the Large Venom Gland of the KING which was responsible for damaging the LIVER of the Tiger and Tiger died because of Liver damage.

Yesterday in the 'Mammals' column while writing on "Injured Leopard" posted by Bhargava bhai I informed the members about the Sundarbans TR losing one Tiger from attack by an Estuarine Crocodile.
Shri Sabyasachi has made his beautiful comments on that.
Full details are given below:
SUNDARBANS TIGER vs.ESTUARINE CROCODILE
After autopsy it has been found that the Tiger was fully grown, about 7 ft.long. I may be mention that most of the Sundarbans Tigers are of lesser weight through Evolution as they have to negotiate muddy river banks and cross rivers and creeks very often but are very ferocious. The Tiger was swimming to cross a creek during high tide near Dobanki deep inside the forest when it was attacked by the Crocodile.There are about 18 deep injury marks on the body all arising out of bite by teeth or swipe of tail by the crocodile.One hind leg is virtually non-existent.It is felt that the Tiger fought brilliantly(as evident from number of bites by angry crocodile) but it might have been an uneven fight as the Tiger possibly could not get a foothold due to high level of water.
About one week back a spotted deer was dragged away while crossing the same creek while other got away with injury.
The Forest Dept. people have seen one 14 ft long crocodile lurking nearby(Resident!).
SUNDARBANS TIGER vs. SHARK
About one year back the Forest dept guards while patrolling found an injured Tiger on the river bank which has lost one of its paws amputated as if by a surgeon.After investigation it was found that the Tiger survived from a SHARK attack( Razor- like Cut).It was treated in Kolkata Zoo and after a few months sent to Animal Rehabilitation Centre in North Bengal as it was impossible for it to hunt in the wild.Estuarine Crocodiles of The Sundarbans are Man-eaters. Yesterday one fisherman has been dragged while climbing the shore from the trawler.

Thought I would jump in.

The populated parts of the Sunderbans are mostly on the eastern fringe. Villages are there and that is a reality for everyone. A vast part of the delta (what of it is in India) is uninhabited except for PT staff. Fishermen (that includes foreign trawlers), honey collectors etc are the ones who visit... maybe an occasional poacher, a smuggler and a pirate.

Comments like sea level has risen, islands have vanished, do make a good news copy but sounds a bit ridiculous. I hope the OP knows what he is talking about. Without a valid background on tide and river current dynamics and geomorphology of the delta, I wouldn't make a sweeping comment such as these in a public forum.

Erosion is a physical process and yes islands get eroded. And erosion goes hand in hand with accretion... while a part of the delta is eroded, the same material is deposited in the delta elsewhere. If an island has submerged, two islands have arisen new. Such is Sunderbans. this is how the delat was buolt. Wildlife has survived there for thousands of years with accretion and erosion. Unless 'shot/trapped', they should thrive.

The indian part of the 'bans has also see tectonic movement and the sea and river bed at the estuary mouth has risen. Salinity has increased at the mouth of most of the indian rivers leading to population shifts in biotic elements. Higher salinity is attributed as a probable cause in reduction in no. of Sundari trees and Tenualosa catch. But if Sundari has gone down, Avicennia has increased. The bangladesh portion (60% of the delta), has no habitations lesser salinity but much higher recorded incidences of tiger and ungulate poaching.

Crocs have been around and some are huge. Tigers and humans being killed by crocs is something that happens - reported or not. These aren't piddly muggers but big salties. The Ganges Bull Shark (aka Zambezi Shark) is common too and more people loose limbs to Sharks than to crocs in the bans.

A fascinating and misunderstood place, Sunderbans has suffered form upstream development. With giving of most of the Ganga water with Bangladesh, the Indian channels.. even the navigation channel of the Hughli are subjected to high siltation. As the river beds rise, climatic events easily lead to flooding of islands. Whatever little agriculture is hit by salt water influx and sweet water ponds- so essential for drinking, are inundated. Tiger and man is affected equally. Only that a Tiger still has wild and instinctive skills that allow him a better chance than man, who is dependent on relief.

The british raj embankments in Sunderbans are still the mainstay of protection of villages/ islands. Earthenware embankments they are and that makes sense even today as the rivers adjoining the islands are the ones to be dredged and same material used for embankments. the slope and design of course should be modulated based on tide and current behavior in the river and trust me it varies a lot. Not fly ash, not RCC not gabions...

Some fairly recent studies have been carried out for the 'Bans and Kolkata vis a vis Climate Change. Predictions are more cyclonic events, more rainy days, more rain per day. The rise in levels in absolute terms yet in the Bans is negligible if any. But catastrophic climatic events shall affect wildlife and in India disaster management response is not fully tuned to handle human requirements, leave aside animals. Sunderbans also serve as a shield for Kolkata city against extreme climatic events and despite this high rainfall is not handled well in Kolkata itself. On the rosy side, Survey of India is to shortly carryout a hazard line mapping of the entire indian coast so that should be a good tool in planning. Not being an area of navigational importance proper bathymetric charts and tide, current etc data for Sunderbans, is hard to come by and has to be generated de novo. that takes time.

With an increasing demand for tourism, Sunderbans in the last 10 odd years has seen numerous 'resorts' - luxurious and expensive and these are all encroachments. Those well heeled and tooled patronize such outfits and theses outfits have gone to the extent of training rivers to suit their needs. I always thought those interested in nature tourism and from metros, are more aware!!!!


Of those fishermen etc who go into the Sunderbans, a vast majority are without any valid permits. They fall prey to the lements and to tigers and such deaths are not reported in fear of action by the PT authorities. In April this year 4 people were killed by Tiger on one island on one day and fifth was brought back severly mauled. the witch doctor/ gayen who claimed to know mnatars that would tell him where a Tiger was was the first to be carried away.... so much for mumbo jumbo.

So just like the rest of our imperfect country the 'bans are too imperfect- in nature and in management. Going by the derisive approach towards 'sarkari' figures, if the West Bengal Forest Directorate counts were wrong, what makes you all think the WII did the correct count? Never believe what all you hear guys.

Arijit

An interesting and informative discussion that can make people think:)

Thanks Arijit da for the detailed thought.