The Covid-induced lockdown and cyclone Amphan seem to have resulted in dependency on natural resources in the Sunderbans. The number of persons killed in tiger attack this year so far points to it. While some have initiated efforts on the ground to check the conflict, others say this phenomenon is noticed every time a disaster strikes the region. Animals, too, would be experiencing a new normal, especially if they stay close to human habitats; some of the stress that humans are feeling because of the disease and the lockdown would have a spin-off effect on animals. Responsible behaviour and an extra dose of care and caution can mitigate this impact. With four months still to go in 2020, 15 fishermen have already been killed in tiger attack in the mangroves two more than the number of persons killed a year ago in 2019. This is the official data, the actual number may be higher. In the latest incident a few weeks ago, 40-year-old Haripada Mandal a jobless villager of Bali island was killed in tiger attack in the forest of Pirkhali while had ventured into the woods with two others, who had reportedly returned to the Sunderbans from another state during Unlock 1. Interestingly, more than half of these incidents 8 have been reported after May 20, the day Amphan hit the swamp. In another such incident in the Jhila forest, the victim a jobless labourer had reportedly returned to the Sunderbans a few days before the incident. Keeping an eye on the pandemic and rising conflict situation, city-based NGO Society for Heritage and Ecological researches (SHER) has identified 100 licenced fishermen in the mangroves to provide them with portable LPG cylinders. The fishermen with their boats registered with the forest department leave for fishing inside forest for days where they need to cook on their earthen stove on boat. The traditional earthen stove run on dry firewood forces a villager to venture into the swamp to collect the firewood. Moreover, in the wet and humid condition of the landscape, it is tough to get dry fuelwood for cooking. This makes both the human and tiger vulnerable to engage in conflict. It is already known that tiger attacks people mostly whenever human enters the forest, said Joydip Kundu of SHER. Sunderbans Tiger Reserve field director Tapas Das said that the plan was in place for a long time, but it was finally executed recently. We handed over the cylinders with customized tough metal cases to avoid the toppling over of utensils on choppy waters to 25 licenced fishermen in Basirhat range in the first phase, he added. On rise in dependence on natural resources during lockdown and post Amphan, Das said that there’s a possibility. In a tiger attack case reported from Jhila 3 recently, the victim was a migrant labourer who had just returned to his home in the Sunderbans, Das added. Anurag Danda, senior visiting fellow with Observer Research Foundation, has his take. Dependence on natural resources increases whenever a disaster happens. The trend was noticed during Aila, too. And more the fishermen get exposed, more there are cases of tiger attacks. Moreover, due to the pandemic situation this time, those who usually don’t venture into the woods to collect fish or crabs are also doing so. Hence, there is rise in accidents this year, Danda added. The eight post Amphan tiger attack cases that also coincided with return of migrant labourers were mostly reported from Pirkhali, Jhila and the forests of South 24 Parganas division. In the incident at Jhila 3 in Basirhat range, villagers were even seen recording the entire process of the victim’s body being retrieved from inside the forest.