Ecopsychosocial Aspects of Human–Tiger Conflict: An Ethnographic Study of Tiger Widows of Sundarban Delta, India

Abstract

AIMSHuman–tiger conflict (HTC) is a serious public health issue in Sundarban Reserve Forest, India. HTC is a continued concern for the significant mortality and morbidity of both human and tiger population. This is the first comprehensive report on Sundarban tiger–human conflicts and its impact on widows whose husbands were killed by tigers. The study attempts to explore the situation analysis of HTC and the aftermath of the incident including bereavement and coping, the cultural stigma related to being killed by a tiger and the consequent discrimination, deprivation, and social rejection, and the impact on the mental health of the tiger-widows.METHODSThis is a three-phase ethnographic research with a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. In the first phase, a door-to-door village survey (3,084 households) was carried out in two villages of Sundarban, which are adjacent to the Reserve Forest, in which the incidents of human–animal conflicts and the 65 tiger-widows identified were documented. In the second phase, the 65 tiger-widows were studied to explore the ecodemography of tiger attacks and tiger-widows alongside the stigma issue by using a stigma questionnaire (n = 49). The stigma burden was compared with normal widows (n = 21) and snake-bite widows (n = 18). In the third phase, the psychosocial and cultural dimensions related to tiger attacks were studied by using in-depth interviews (IDI) of the tiger-widows, focus-group discussions (FGD), and participatory mapping in the community. Clinical examinations of the mental health of the widows were also carried out in this phase.RESULTSThe mean age of the 65 widows was 43.49 ± 9.58 years. Of this, 12.3% of the widows had remarried and only 4.6% of the widows were literate. In all, 67.2% of all tiger attacks occurred as a result of illegal forest entry. The main livelihood of the former husbands of the widows were 43.8% wood cutting, 28.1% fishing, 10.9% crab catching, 9.4% tiger prawn seed (juvenile prawn), and 4.7% honey collection. The maximum number of attacks took place in the months of December (24.6%) and November (13.9%). The majority of incidences happened during the morning hours (47.7%) of the day. Of the cases, 86.1% were attacked while the person was engaged in livelihood activity. In all, 57.4% widows are recorded as living “below the poverty line”. Currently, 45.5% widows earn their living by laboring work followed by forest-based livelihood activities (30%) and begging (5.2%). Tiger-widows differed significantly (P < 0.001) from both normal and snake-bite widows on all stigma cluster scores and the total score. Of the tiger-widows, 44% were shown to be suffering from some designated mental illness. IDIs and FGDs helped to unfold the cultural construct of stigma related to tiger-killing. This can be seen in how the tiger-widows’ quality of life has been negatively impacted in the way their economic and social security, health, remarriage opportunities, and child upbringing is restricted, along with a multitude of posttrauma psychological sca...

The role of nature conservation and commercial farming in psychological distress among rural Ugandans

“…Several studies describe how interactions with wildlife can be distressing, potentially contributing to the risk of mental illness (e.g., Barua et al, 2013;Chowdhurym et al, 2016;Jadhav & Barua, 2012). For instance, Chowdhurym et al (2016) interviewed 65 widows whose husbands had been killed by tigers, and who subsequently faced stigma and other social challenges. Their study suggested that respondents' status as "tigers-widows" contributed to their risk of mental illness, with 44% of them being formally diagnosed with a mental disorder.…”

“…These experiences can differ from those typically reported in the global north. For instance, studies in India describe how living close to large mammals can lead to traumatic encounters potentially detrimental to mental health (Barua et al, 2013;Chowdhurym et al, 2016;Jadhav & Barua, 2012). These experiences vary because of differences in both the social as well as the ecological context (Lawrence et al, 2019).…”

“…These experiences vary because of differences in both the social as well as the ecological context (Lawrence et al, 2019). For instance, the traumatic encounters mentioned above occur because of the proximity between conservation areas and rural residents (e.g., Chowdhurym et al, 2016). This point emphasizes the need to understand how mental health outcomes are co-produced through the interaction of society and ecosystems, termed 'socio-ecological systems.'…”

Trauma psicosocial y estrés postraumático en las “viudas blancas” por la explosión de un ducto de gasolina en el Municipio de Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo

“…El dolor y el sufrimiento se hace presente, también, en las viudas de Sundarban Delta, India, cuyos maridos murieron por ataque de tigres de la región; las secuelas del incidente, así como las consecuencias del duelo, el enfrentamiento del estigma cultural y la discriminación, tienen impacto en la salud mental de estas mujeres. De las 65 viudas, el 44% padecía una enfermedad mental, asociada con las creencias y prácticas socioculturales locales, junto con una multitud de cicatrices psicológicas posteriores al trauma, privación, abuso y explotación (Chowdhury, 2016).…”

“…Aunque el desarrollo del síndrome postraumático tenga diversas manifestaciones asociadas a sus entornos culturales. (Chowdhury, 2016;Kinyuy Lange, 2016;Atwal, 2017;Archana et al 2017;Kim et al Forhum International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021, 3(4) ISNN: 2683-2372 https://doi.org/10.35766/j.forhum2021.04.03.11 146 2017; Lambert et al 2017;Omozusi Omosefe et al 2018;Pragya et al 2018;Sharma & Lehal, 2018;Bokek-Cohen & Ben-Asher (2018).…”