Life and Death in the Sundarbans

The Sundarbans forest in southern Bangladesh is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It has green Sundari trees, rivers, numerous species of birds, deer, crocodiles, snakes, and most famously, the Royal Bengal tiger. Spread across 9,583sq km in the Ganges delta, the Sundarbans is home to 440 tigers, and about 50 to 60 thousand people depend on land, rivers and forest for their living. As climate changes, hurricanes and cyclones continue to affect the area, the fresh water that once irrigated farmers’ fields has turned salty, rendering the fields useless. A growing number of farmers in Bangladesh's southern Sundarbans region have now been driven out of their fields and into the region's mangrove forests to hunt for honey, fish, or to collect crabs, putting them at great risk for a tiger attack. The number of people killed by tiger attacks in the region is steadily rising. According to forestry officials and the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, there were seven deaths in 2007; thirty in 2008; thirty-four in 2009, and twenty-six as of July 2010.

Humans and tigers are now fighting for space.

  
Men collect firewood in the dense mangrove forest in the Sundarbans forest.
   
Men light a smoke emitting torch to ward off bees as they hunt for honey in the Sunderbans. Honey hunting is one of the most high-risk jobs in Bangaldesh. Every year 15-20 honey hunters are attacked and killed by tigers. The hunters can the earn the same amount in eight weeks as they would normally make in six months.
     
  
Khalil is seen at the funeral for his wife, Nasima Akhter,
   
The funeral for Nasima Akhter is seen in the Sunderbans May 2010. In the morning, after finishing all her household work, Nasima and her husband Khalil went crab fishing in the forest. While they were fishing on the banks of the forest a tiger snuck up from behind and pounced on Nasima. Khalil drove the tiger away with a tree branch, but could not save his wife. As she lay dying on the river shore she hugged Khalil made him promise never to come to the forest again. She whispered to him, "What will happen to our children if a tiger attacks you?"
  
Khalil Gazi (left) and his relatives collect crabs in the jungle just 10 months after his wife Nasima was killed by a tiger that pounced on her from behind. He drove the tiger away with a tree branch, but could not save his wife. As she lay dying on the river shore, she hugged Khalil and made him promise never to come to the forest again. She whispered to him, "What will happen to our children if a tiger attacks you?" "I often think of Nasima when I am in the jungle and am sad when I remember how I had to carry her dead body out of the jungle. Now I have to keep living for my children because I have to educate them and try my best for them.”  Two months after Nasima's death, Khalil sought employment away from his village. He was unsuccessful in finding a job in Bandarban but eventually got a job as a laborer in Jessore, earning 500 taka (around 5 usd) per week. Illness forced him to move back to his village and he had to rely on his parents to pay 35,000 taka (324usd) for his medical treatment.  He still remains there and reports that he makes his living by collecting crabs from the canals, selling shrimp, and honey hunting.  He is worried about the tigers but feels that he has no other option. Although working as a laborer was safer, he earns more money now.  Three of his children go to school and he married Rena Begum five months ago. "The first time I entered the jungle after Nasima's death I was terrified and it took 4 to 5 months for me to feel normal in the jungle again.  Since being back home in the Sundarbans I am happier than I was before."
     
  
Khalil Gazi, 31, and his wife Rena Begum, 21, are photographed outside his home in Jotinronaghor 10 months after his previous wife Nasima was killed by a tiger. "I often think of Nasima when I am in the jungle and am sad when I remember how I had to carry her dead body out of the jungle. Now I have to keep living for my children because I have to educate them and try my best for them.”  Two months after Nasima's death, Khalil sought employment away from his village. He was unsuccessful in finding a job in Bandarban but eventually got a job as a laborer in Jessore, earning 500 taka (around 5 usd) per week. Illness forced him to move back to his village and he had to rely on his parents to pay 35,000 taka (324usd) for his medical treatment.  He still remains there and reports that he makes his living by collecting crabs from the canals, selling shrimp, and honey hunting.  He is worried about the tigers but feels that he has no other option. Although working as a laborer was safer, he earns more money now.  Three of his children go to school and he married Rena Begum five months ago. "The first time I entered the jungle after Nasima's death I was terrified and it took 4 to 5 months for me to feel normal in the jungle again.  Since being back home in the Sundarbans I am happier than I was before."
  
Women collect shrimp in Harinagar, earning around 80 taka (around $1.10) a day. Many people opt to farm shrimp instead of working in the jungle, where they could earn more money. The risks they would encounter in the jungle are best avoided.
   
Hannan fishes in the Sunderbans. Both Hannan's father and father in law were attacked by tigers. His father survived. Him and his wife are too afraid to go near the jungle so they fish far away from the banks. They earn much less than they would if they were to work near the forest where there are much more fish, but believe the alternative is much worse.
     
  
Hannan walks to the market with his children after a rainstorm in the Sunderbans. Both Hannan's father and father in law were attacked by tigers. His father survived. Him and his wife are too afraid to go near the jungle so they fish far away from the banks. They earn much less than they would if they were to work near the forest where there are much more fish, but believe the alternative is much worse.
   
Men carry honey bee hives onto a boat at Harinagar Bazar in the Sundarbans.
  
13 year old Ruhel and 18 year old Rubel are seen outside their home in the Sunderbans May 2010. Ruhel and his cousin Rubel went to fish for crabs in a narrow canal called Tuskhali in the forest. Sailing into these canals is extremely dangerous because the boat is surrounded by dense forest on either side, making it impossible to spot a tiger until it is too late. Ruhel and Rubel were sailing through the middle of the canal when the tiger leaped into Ruhel, clawing his head, back and chest. Rubel grabbed the tiger by it's paw and tried to push it off his cousin, injuring his arms but scaring away the tiger.
     
  
Rahul Morol, 14, is photographed outside his home one year after being attacked by a tiger while fishing with his cousin. “After the attack it took one and a half months to fully recover. Before the attack I was not afraid of tigers, but now I feel afraid." Rahul no longer works and has vowed never to return to the jungle. When his father ventures into the jungle, he fears for his safety, remembering the horror of the tiger attack. His cousin, too frightened to continue living and working in Jotinronaghor, left Bangladesh after the attack and now works as a painter in India.  Ruhel plans to be a shrimp farmer in the future and says, “I have no other plan. No other option.”
  
Kushum Mondul stands outside her goat house in the town of Golakali. “I was inside my house at the time. When the tiger entered the goat house next door it broke through the wall. I was sitting on my bed and I called for my older sister. I told her that I heard the goats being killed by the tiger. We were trying to think what we could do. My older sister was so scared; she lost control of her bladder. We started screaming inside the house; some villagers heard and they came. My sister said to stay inside, if you open the door we might be in danger. We tried to scare the tiger off by hitting a large plastic container, hoping to make enough noise to scare off the tiger, but he killed 9 goats. The villagers came yelling, pushed the tiger away, and they killed it. I cried for the loss of my goats. Now I have to fish in the river. At sunset I start to get scared thinking the tiger will come again, and I lock my door. We don't leave our home at night; we keep a pot inside the home for bathroom use. I’m a poor woman. I made my living by raising goats, but the tiger killed all my goats. What am I to do now?”
   
Nafeesa Begum sits inside her home in Sunderbans, Bangladesh. "We get so frightened of the tiger at night. Sometimes we are too afraid to use the toilet outside in the dark that we must use the urinate in the home" she said.
     
  
Figoja Begum is photographed outside her home. Firoja's husband, Sheik Mujiber Rahaman, went honey hunting with four other people. As soon as they found the honey comb in the jungle the tiger jumped on the back of his neck and he died on the spot. The other men ran to the boat as the tiger was dragging the body away. When Firoja heard the news she fell to the floor crying and lost her mind with grief. Since the attack she is aloof and refuses to talk to anyone about what happened. Her neighbors say that she is half mad.
   
A boy peers through the bars of his home in the Sunderbans
   
A boy fishes in the Sundarbans
     
  
Muhammad Alu's mother cried at his funeral. Muhammad was brutally killed by a tiger in the jungle where he was hunting for honey. After countless hours of tracking honey bees through the dense Mangrove forest, Muhammad and five friends lost their way and decided to head back to their boat on the Talputi Canal. Suddenly, he cried out as a tiger mauled him from behind. His friends immediately began shouting and running toward him, scaring the tiger away. Although the attack lasted for only 5 seconds, the 250 pound animal was able to engulf the innocent man's head and inflict fatal damage. Muhammed left behind four sons and his wife, Rashida Begum. 
   
The body of Muhammad Alu is laid out before buriel. Muhammad was brutally killed by a tiger in the jungle where he was hunting for honey. After countless hours of tracking honey bees through the dense Mangrove forest, Muhammad and five friends lost their way and decided to head back to their boat on the Talputi Canal. Suddenly, he cried out as a tiger mauled him from behind. His friends immediately began shouting and running toward him, scaring the tiger away. Although the attack lasted for only 5 seconds, the 250 pound animal was able to engulf the innocent man's head and inflict fatal damage. Muhammed left behind four sons and his wife, Rashida Begum.
  
The body of Muhammad Alu is laid to rest near his home.