Tourists entering the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, encountered two tigers swimming in Cuttack and Kochikhali.
Passengers of two ships named Sampan and Crown got this rare opportunity to see these two tigers on Saturday and Sunday.
Russell, a passenger of the tourist ship Sapman, said: “On September 2 (Saturday), the Sampan went from Cuttack to Kochikhali. On reaching Kochikhali around noon, a tiger was seen crossing the river. 55 passengers on this ship enjoyed the scene. Many tried to take pictures. The tiger was 80 yards away.”
Majharul Islam Kochi, joint general secretary of Tour Operators Association of Sundarbans and proprietor of Evergreen Tours, said that the Sundarbans were opened from September 1 after a three-month ban.
“On the first day, nine ships including seven from Khulna went to Sundarbans with 349 tourists. On September 2 (Saturday), Sampan passengers saw the tiger. On Sunday, the passengers of Crown also saw a tiger as well,” he added.
