The Sundarbans is often described as the "home" of tigers. But that is not the whole truth. Undoubtedly, it is a habitat and a home for multispecies, including humans, whose lives are entangled, sustained, and mutually accreted. How do the prey -- humans -- and the predator -- the tiger -- share forest space and survive together? Can the prey and predator truly live together?
The lived experiences of the Bonojibis, as a repository of generational knowledge, reveal a world in which prey and predator coexist -- though with constant risk and collaboration. A physical encounter with a tiger can be fatal; therefore, to avoid direct contact, the Bonojibis maintain a tangible distance by attuning themselves to the forest's eco-soundscape, particularly to the sonic image of the tiger.
If anyone enters the forest, it does not necessarily mean entering a different place, but rather entering a world of distinctive soundscape produced by multiple agents, including living and other-than-living organisms in the marshy forest landscape. Every agent, be it human or other-than-human, marks its presence through distinctive tones, echoes, and rhythms, while simultaneously attuning with the forest's embedded eco-soundscape. When the Bonojibis step into a forest creek, they can distinctly perceive a different threshold and ambience of the mal ( forest creek) through diverse modes of sonic images or representations.
Malek Mandal from Mirganj shared insights about the sonic image of the tiger, its representations, and how it foretells or signifies potential danger. He stated, "The tiger is a kancha kheko jontu (a raw flesh-eating animal). Therefore, if deer, wild boar, jungle fowl, monkeys, or other birds and animals sense the presence of a tiger in any mal, they all leave that place immediately. When the other wildlife and birds leave, the regular forest sounds also disappear. The rhythm of sound is actually disrupted there. That silence makes us understand that a tiger is around, and we should find a different place to work in the forest."
If there is a tiger in the mal, the forest ambience turns silent (nirob), quiet (nistobdo), and deep (gombhir). The regular rhythm, tone, and overall threshold of the place are disrupted -- the usual forest ambience and embedded sounds are absent. Sometimes, such absence of soundscape, or in other words, the presence of silence, often amplifies the physical body of the tiger, as it seems the tiger mediates its presence by disrupting the known chaotic sounds and guiding Bonojibis to take secure shelter or find another place. The reading of silence, in this regard, often conveys a mode of the tiger's presence.
Both silence and sound reside in the sonic ecology in operation, functioning to signify the presence of the tiger. Suppose monkeys see a tiger -- they make distinct calls or noises. In the same way, deer give different calls when tigers are spotted, and so do jungle fowl. Bonojibis understand these variations made by animals and birds as alarming signals (bipod samket) for others.
Another Bonojibi, Joydev, lives in Mirganj village, one of the areas most vulnerable to tiger encounters, and sustains himself by fishing and collecting crabs in the forest. He explained, "If a tiger is sighted near monkeys, they immediately emit a shrill call, sounding like Khhak-khhak, Khhak-khhak. Monkeys do not usually vocalise this way; it occurs only upon seeing a tiger. Upon hearing this distinctive alarm, both humans and deer become alert and vacate the area immediately. Most Bonojibis recognise this specific call as an indicator of tiger presence." The Bonojibis keenly perceive, interpret, and understand tiger presence through these unique calls, often identifying them as alarming signals (bipod samket).
Like the calls of monkeys, Bonojibis who spend long periods in the jungle and have accumulated vast experience can differentiate between the regular vocalisations of deer and their alarm calls (bipod samket). Deer emit this alert sound -- Taau-Taau, Taau-Taau -- which is distinct from their normal calls. Upon detecting this signal, both humans and other deer in the mal become vigilant, track the tiger's movements, and retreat to save their lives. The Bonojibis interpret this sound as a definitive warning of tiger presence.
Jungle fowl in the forest naturally fear foxes. When they encounter a tiger, they mistake it for a large fox and fearfully take flight. Unlike domestic hens, jungle fowl can cover long distances in flight, like other forest birds. When they emit loud, frantic calls and move chaotically, Bonojibis interpret it as an indicator of tiger presence. The usual call of the jungle fowl, locally called bon morog, is Kot-Kot, but these alarm calls -- distinct from their normal vocalisations -- are filled with fear, signifying the presence of a predator.
Joydev reminded, "After laying eggs, a jungle fowl may produce prolonged, harsh alarm calls, such as Kot-kot-kotash, Kot-kot-kotash, Kot-kot-kotash. Similarly, a jungle fowl restlessly produces such sounds when a tiger is nearby. Hearing this, Bonojibis in the mal become vigilant, recognising that a tiger is in the vicinity, and retreat from the area to avoid danger."
The sonic image of the tiger emerges through the acoustic soundscape produced by other-than-human agents within the forest. It signifies a nodal point between prey and predator -- one that both connects and demarcates them. This connection arises as the tiger's sonic presence signals its physical proximity from a distance, while simultaneously establishing a boundary: humans respond to this acoustic image by maintaining a cautious distance, thus ensuring safety while co-inhabiting the forest space.