Daily Star
Though beautiful and globally revered animals, tigers have no problem showing us why they sit at the top of the food chain.
Estimates suggest between 50 and 250 people are mauled to death by tigers every year – and its often not pretty.
The victims who manage to come out the other side with their life have often lost something in the process.
Face torn off
Hashmot Ali was left with half his face after a tiger attacked the fisherman while he slept on a boat docked in a forest canal in Bangladesh in August 2016.
It only took a single swipe for the beast to drag its claws through his face and leave it permanently disfigured.
Colleagues managed to scare the tiger away and row the boat to mainland while Ali writhed in pain.
Once at hospital doctors said it was too late to offer treatment. Reconstructive surgery has been attempted since but sadly failed.
Ali said: “I want to live my life with pride; I don’t want to hide behind this mask anymore. I have done enough hiding, now I want to live with pride and joy with my kids.”
Mauled zookeepers
David Soloman, 52, had his neck snapped by a Siberian tiger at the Seaview Predator Park in South Africa.
The 675Ib beast scaled the electric fence while the power was down and lunged for Solomon who had reared the cat since being a cub.
After mauling his former carer, Jasper then jumped another fence to kill a rival male in a bloody fight.
Similarly, a female zookeeper was grabbed by the neck and mauled to death in front of horrified visitors in July 2020.
Despite the efforts of colleagues at Zurich zoo, the 55-year-old woman could not be saved.
One eyewitness said: “The tiger had grabbed the woman by the neck.”
The zoo said they would not euthanise the tiger in question, arguing, “a person in [the tiger’s] facility is an intruder into their territory. In her reaction, she only followed her natural instincts.”
Entire village eaten
Over the course of 2018, 22 villagers were picked off by tigers in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of northern India.
Around a dozen tigers left mangled and half-eaten bodies lying in undergrowth as well as a headless corpse.
Residents of the area believe that the tiger reserve established in 2014 is the reason for the attacks which have occurred up to 8km away from the forest.
Although, some farmers are only 30ft from the reserve and are too poor to afford fencing that could save their lives.
Tourist made into plaything
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