Day 92, Sunderbans [Monday 3rd March 2008]
Previous day: Day 91, Kolkata [Sunday 2nd March 2008]
Next day: Day 93, Sunderbans [Tuesday 4th March 2008]
We make our way across town to the Priya Cinema, where we are getting picked up for our tour to the Sunderbans, a huge 10,000 square metre national park constituting the largest mangrove forest in the world, and home to one of the largest tiger populations in India. Many of the tigers are known man eaters.
It's a 3 hour drive on gradually degrading roads, followed by 2.5 hours on a boat, which takes us to the relative luxury of the Sundarban Tiger Camp. We get a delicious buffet lunch as soon as we arrive, then go on a short trip over the water to one of the watchtowers, from where we see our first wild tiger! Within 5 minutes of climbing the tower a female tiger prowls into view down one of the observation channels, areas which have been cleared of trees to enable easier viewing. She stops for a while, then lays down in the shade of a tree. Using binoculars we are able to watch her for as long as we like, and she's still there when we leave 45 minutes later. The guide with us says she looked pregnant.
We also see 3 giant water monitors — creepy, prehistoric lizards, although the move surprisingly quickly when they need to.
Back at the camp that evening we see some dancing and singing performed by people from the local 'Munda' tribe. It's different fro mthe other forms we've seen so far — the rhythm is basic and primal, the singing less nuanced, evocative somehow of the blues in its mournful expression.
Following that, dinner is great, again. It's some of the best food we've had in India so far. We retire to our cottage overlooking the duck-filled pond. On the verandah Kate refuses to sit with her back towards the paddy field, as apparently that's where they spotted a tiger last month, 4 days in a row. Finally, as a precaution, they had to to fire a tranquilizer dart into it and transport it back to the forest. They think hungry or desperate tigers resort to attackign humans for food. There are many theories why the Sundarbans produce so many maneating tigers, one of which is that the salt water, which they drink, sends them a bit mad.
The paddy field is part of a village, with no protection against the tigers. Our compound is surrounded by high wire fences, but the mud huts of the village have no such barrier. The tigers are a danger this area must live with permanently. Over 1000 people have died from tiger attacks in the Sundarbans. Recently some protective fencing has started to be installed along the edges of the waterways, and annual attacks have begun to drop. Already they are down from 80 to 35 a year.
Next day: Day 93, Sunderbans [Tuesday 4th March 2008]
Previous day: Day 91, Kolkata [Sunday 2nd March 2008]