Zookeeper Mauled to Death by Bengal Tigress in India

What makes the Bengal tiger so special and iconic? Aside from them being one of the biggest cat species in the world, the Bengal tiger is well known for its stripes being unique to each individual and using its distinctive coat as a form of camouflage.

But what happens when you keep one in a zoo and don't manage it well? Keeping your guard down could be fatal.

Tiger attacks Zoo Attendant

In Arunachal Pradesh, India, a cleaner was mauled by a Bengal tigress. The worker entered its cage to clean the water pond and got himself mauled by the Bengal tigress to death.

Poulash Karmakar, the zoo attendant, 35, was a native resident of Dhekiajuli town in neighboring state of Assam. Poulash Karmakar was on duty on Tuesday, where he entered the cage of the Bengal tigress to clean the water pond. This is where things got fatal in an unexpected turn.

According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), zoo curator Raya Flago quote-unquote said, "The incident happened at around 2:30pm on Tuesday. I was informed by the incident by one of our animal attendants. When I reached the zoo along with a doctor and other staff, Poulash Karmakar was already dead. He was found bleeding from the face."

Raya Flago added to his statement that three gates where the attendant was working were left open, leaving the attendant at a very vulnerable situation. Hinting at negligence from the side of the staff, Rayo Flago pointed out that this resulted in the tragic incident. 'Chippi' - the name of the eight-year-old Bengal tigress, has been staying in the zoo since 2008.

The PTI also reported a police investigation, and forensics are now examining the body of the victim. Itanagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Kamdam Sikom said, "Police did not see anything suspicious and it seems to be a case of negligence as per preliminary investigation." After all the necessary forensic tests, the body of Poulash Karmakar will be handed to his family.

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Bengal Tigers and their Behavior

The Bengal tigers mainly inhabit the tropical forests of the Indian sub-continent, as they are also sometimes known to be called as Indian tigers. Bengal tigers are the most common type of tigers and theirs numbers are about half of all wild tigers.

Bengal Tigers live in solitude, while aggressively marking large territories through their scent. They do this in order to keep their rivals and enemies away, and let outsiders know that the territory is theirs.

Tigers are strong nocturnal hunters with strong hunting instincts. They use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes). A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds in one night.

Tiger attacks are relatively rare. Tigers attack when they are intimidated by humans or unfamiliar people. The Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh are known to have one of the largest population of tigers. Tigers are estimated to kill over 0-50 people per year.

Also read: UK Laws to Formally Consider Animals as Sentient Beings