However, those in the Sundarbans, the mangrove forests of the Ganges Delta, are a major threat to life and limb; up to 60 people are allegedly killed by tigers each year. Tigers, stealth and ambush predators, seize their victims from behind, splitting neck-bones and clamping windpipes. A mask would fool the tiger into thinking that the potential victim was facing it. Masks were issued to 2,500 of the 8,000 fishermen wood-harvesters and wild honey collectors entering the Sundarbans Reserve in 1986. In the wild, however, young tigers must hone their hunting skills if they are to survive.

Source: Irish Examiner January 05, 2020 20:26 UTC