0:00:12 > 0:00:16There is a place where the tiger is still King of the Jungle.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25The Sundarbans Forest that borders Bangladesh and India.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31This vast mangrove forest is a last stronghold
0:00:31 > 0:00:34for the endangered Bengal tiger.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39It's also a place where these beautiful big cats
0:00:39 > 0:00:41have a terrible reputation.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46Some have developed a taste for human flesh.
0:00:47 > 0:00:53In bad years, over 50 people are killed and many injured -
0:00:53 > 0:00:56there's growing fear and hostility.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01Tiger scientists in Bangladesh
0:01:01 > 0:01:04are desperate to prevent further bloodshed.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09But if a solution can't be found, the tiger's days will be numbered.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18One village has a bold plan -
0:01:18 > 0:01:20to train street dogs to protect them
0:01:20 > 0:01:23from the man-eating tiger on their doorstep.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Will these mongrels be any match for the biggest of the big cats?
0:01:39 > 0:01:43A man-eating tiger has struck again.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45A fisherman has been killed
0:01:45 > 0:01:50and his friends want to retrieve his body from the forest.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53As the tiger could still be guarding the corpse,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55it's a very risky thing to do.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Tiger biologist Adam Barlow and his Forest Department team
0:02:02 > 0:02:04want the group to turn back.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Adam's an expert on the man-eating tigers of the Sundarbans,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25and knows these people are playing with fire.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29We tried to persuade them not to go in there.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32This is a very bad idea, but they're gonna go in anyway
0:02:32 > 0:02:35and we're gonna try and help them a little bit,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37make it a bit safe for them,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40but this is really not a safe situation.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Adam's worked with tigers in Asia for over eight years,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48but he's never known man-eating
0:02:48 > 0:02:51to be as bad as it is here in Bangladesh.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Lots of tiger tracks here.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00We're very close to the spot where this man was killed.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Now gonna try and organise things so it's a bit safer.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Adam gives the dead man's friends some critical safety advice before
0:03:17 > 0:03:20they enter the tiger's territory.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46After a lethal bite to the man's neck or throat,
0:03:46 > 0:03:51the tiger would have dragged the victim into dense forest.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56A man's body is large enough to provide meals for several days.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03MEN SHOUT
0:04:06 > 0:04:12There's some blood from the tiger victim, very fresh still. Still wet.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Still following the blood trail.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33They found a bit of cloth from the man's...
0:04:35 > 0:04:38..clothing that was, the guy that was killed.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49The fisherman's mutilated body has been found.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The tiger hasn't finished its meal.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06We've just got the body, we're coming out of the jungle.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09The tiger didn't attack us on the way out, which was really good,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and now they'll take the body to the village for a proper burial.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39Before they leave the area, there's something they must do.
0:05:39 > 0:05:44Material from the dead man's shirt will be a warning to anyone else.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Their mission's accomplished, but they leave heavy-hearted.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06six times the size of Greater London.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09It's a tidal jungle that's been created where the Ganges
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and Brahmaputra rivers enter the Bay of Bengal.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It's hostile to humans,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23but the delta is rich and diverse in wildlife
0:06:23 > 0:06:27and a sanctuary for 400 or so Bengal tigers.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Throughout Asia and the Russian Far East,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38tigers are on the brink of extinction.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45The Sundarbans is one of the largest tracts of wilderness
0:06:45 > 0:06:46left in their range.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Tigers are usually frightened of people, but not here.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Many of these animals are known to be habitual man-eaters.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Adam and the Forest Department's Tiger Response Team
0:07:23 > 0:07:26are battling to save an endangered big cat,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29while also struggling to keep local people safe.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35The tiger's making their job increasingly difficult
0:07:35 > 0:07:39because it's no longer just the people working inside the forest
0:07:39 > 0:07:40who are at risk from attack.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Tigers can easily cross rivers,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53they're excellent swimmers
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and some are venturing into villages that border the forest.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03For over a year, the residents of Chandpai,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05on the northeast edge of the forest,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07have been terrorised by a predatory tiger.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14For many months it killed livestock and dogs,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18but one night it took its first human victim.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Adam's come to Chandpai with fellow tiger scientist Monirul Khan
0:08:29 > 0:08:31to piece together what happened.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Someone is here.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Krishnapodo is the son of the woman who died.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58But what provoked this attack?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Looking at this wall,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07it looks quite substantial to us, but it's pretty flimsy for a tiger
0:10:07 > 0:10:12and no more than some vegetation it might see in the jungle.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14And it sensed the woman in there,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18punched a hole through and grabbed the woman out.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Um, the tragic thing and the surprising thing is,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24is that from this vantage point
0:10:24 > 0:10:27you can see a whole load of cows over there,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30so the tiger's come here, it's got the choice -
0:10:30 > 0:10:32there's some cows over there, there's some...
0:10:32 > 0:10:36there's an old lady in there, I'm gonna get the old lady.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Er, that means that this tiger's probably very bold,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43dangerous, and this is the tiger we really want to deal with
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and lessen the chance of this happening again.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52This tiger is clearly no longer afraid of people,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56and the villagers now fear for their lives.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31No-one really knows why tigers become man-eaters.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Old, sick or injured tigers
0:11:33 > 0:11:37may find killing humans easier than animal prey.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Perhaps some tigers have added people to their diet
0:11:43 > 0:11:48after feeding on the victims of devastating cyclones.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51What's clear is that for Sundarbans tigers,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54eating humans can become a habit.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04So the Chandpai tiger must be stopped in its tracks.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06On the forest side of the river,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Adam discovers just how close it's coming to the village.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13We have some tiger tracks here.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16This is a pretty normal thing, we're in the Sundarbans.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19The trouble is we're also right next to a village
0:12:19 > 0:12:23and this tiger might be the tiger that's crossing into this village
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and killing livestock and killing one old lady.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Er, the villagers are pretty frightened,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32over 60 animals have been killed, and if we don't sort this out,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35we're gonna have more livestock lost, more possible human tragedy
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and nearly definitely a dead tiger.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45There are so few tigers left in the wild that each one is precious.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49They are legally protected in Bangladesh,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52but it's hard to persuade local people of this tiger's value
0:12:52 > 0:12:55when it's causing so much tragedy.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00It's a complex problem,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04but Monirul has come up with a simple and radical solution.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Village dogs.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21They're lowly mongrels, but Monirul thinks they could be trained up,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23not only to warn people of an approaching tiger,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26but also to scare it away for good.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Do you want to be a tiger hound?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41In order to test his idea out,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Monirul needs the help of a professional.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Marielle Schmidt is a dog trainer from the United States
0:13:47 > 0:13:50who has volunteered to come to Chandpai
0:13:50 > 0:13:52to see if she can help make Monirul's idea work.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Hello, you must be Marielle.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Hi, Monirul, nice to meet you.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Welcome to Chandpai. Thank you. Thanks for coming.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10If we can use these dogs to spot the tiger
0:14:10 > 0:14:14or to chase it back to the forest, that's a very good solution.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18I look forward to seeing what the local dogs are like to work with.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22They're probably fairly different than what I've worked with at home.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Be careful of what you're asking.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28At home in Montana, Marielle runs general obedience classes...
0:14:29 > 0:14:32..but she also specialises in training guard dogs.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39In America, certain breeds are already used
0:14:39 > 0:14:41to frighten bears away from people.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50But no-one's tried pitting street dogs against a tiger.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Bangladeshi dogs are treated like pests, not pets,
0:14:54 > 0:15:06and are fearful of everything.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09to see if she can transform them into obedient tiger hounds.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Adam, meanwhile, is trying to control the immediate crisis.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27if there's further tiger trouble.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37They post stickers around the village
0:15:37 > 0:15:39to publicise their tiger helpline.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44We're going around now for all the mobile phone shops.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46These are where everyone goes if someone's,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49hasn't got a mobile phone they'll go there and see that sticker.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54If someone calls the number, and if there's a tiger in the village,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59then we're gonna rush to that spot and try and stop chaos happening
0:15:59 > 0:16:03and stop people being killed by tiger, stop the tiger being killed.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13If the village dogs are to help long term, Monirul and Marielle
0:16:13 > 0:16:17first need to find out whether any of them have hidden talent.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25The villagers of Chandpai have been invited to a dog audition
0:16:25 > 0:16:28in the school playground. The motley crew that turn up
0:16:28 > 0:16:31aren't the pedigree breeds Marielle's used to working with.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41OK, I can see right away that this,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44this one's not gonna work out for us.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47No, he's too, too afraid.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51No, when they, when they won't eat meat they're too afraid to,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55to work with, so thank you, yeah, no score, no, thank you.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Where's the rope for this dog?
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Get that dog on a rope or out of here.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07No, no, no, get him, get him.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08BARKING
0:17:16 > 0:17:18It's a bit of a crazy situation here with lots of...
0:17:18 > 0:17:21lots of people and dogs and activity and when you bring them
0:17:21 > 0:17:25into close proximity it's not uncommon to have some tensions.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29This dog is stiff and resistant, fearful, submissive but fearful,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32not gonna work out for this one.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Will there be ANY candidates?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38So his name is Sheik and he's two years old.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I'm gonna bang this and it may startle him and then I want
0:17:41 > 0:17:43to see how he recovers or how he reacts to it.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44LOUD BANG ON GONG
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Not too bad. Right back, good boy.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Good boy. He's, he's brave, and fairly dominant,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54as we saw from his behaviour with other dogs,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58which could be a little problematic. Let's give him a... six.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08It's hard with the females because they spend much of their life here
0:18:08 > 0:18:09raising puppies or being in heat
0:18:09 > 0:18:13and that could be distracting for the boys in the pack.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16So, probably it's best to stick with males for the pack work.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Thank you, we'll let her go take care of her puppies.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22So, no score? No score.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Good boy.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Oh, this is nice, he's much more responsive.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Willing to take it from the hand the first time. Good boy.
0:18:34 > 0:18:40Just one, one at a time, OK... So, let's try it. Yes.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42OK. Kind of expected that.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Good boy, it's OK, it's OK. It's OK.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48His name is Bullet. Bullet, OK.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50He's the first one that's been quite aggressive
0:18:50 > 0:18:54taking the food from my hand, which is not a bad thing.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56He would need to learn respect.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59He's a little jumpy around his head sometimes, a little nervous
0:18:59 > 0:19:00about being touched back there,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04but that can be a, a bit of a dominance trait too.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I like him, I give him my highest score, we'll give him a seven.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10OK, that's great. So this is the highest scorer?
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Yeah, highest score so far.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15At last, a handful of dogs with some talent.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19But they're still a long way from creating a canine defence force.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27There's mounting pressure on Adam
0:19:27 > 0:19:30to build up a profile of the Chandpai serial killer
0:19:30 > 0:19:33so he can work out how to deal with it.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35It's not a job for the faint-hearted.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I'm a little bit nervous.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Normally a tiger's afraid of humans,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45but this tiger's gotten over that fear
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and now it's trying to kill cattle, even one person.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And the forest is so dense I could come across this tiger
0:19:53 > 0:19:55and I won't see it until it's two metres away.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58We've got some bear spray, we've got forest guards,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01we've got a knife and hopefully the tiger's gonna hear me coming
0:20:01 > 0:20:05before it's too late, so we've got to rely on a bit of experience,
0:20:05 > 0:20:12and hopefully the tiger doesn't fancy attacking me today.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21Tiger tracks, a few days old, probably male, I don't really know.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22It's a little bit messed up,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25but heading this way, heading towards the village.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27I'm gonna see where they go.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Its gender is significant.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37A female may have hungry cubs to feed.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38If she's a man-eater,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42her cubs may also develop the taste for human flesh.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50A male tiger patrols a territory four times larger than a female's,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53so he will have different hunting patterns.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Just knowing this will help Adam decide
0:20:57 > 0:20:59how to best protect the village.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's the first day of the tiger hound training.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09The chosen dogs and their owners make their way from Chandpai
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and neighbouring villages to Marielle's training ground.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Eight dogs were selected from the dog audition.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Marielle now needs to turn them into a well-behaved pack.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It looks like it's gonna be interesting here,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26a lot of growling and attitude already.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28So, hope we can keep the peace.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Congratulations, you are all now tiger hounds in training.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39You have been selected for a very important job,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42to protect you and the people of your village from tigers.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Marielle starts off by giving the dogs vaccinations,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47new leashes and collars.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I've got an extra large collar for Bitu.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52We have Sheik the troublemaker, loudmouth,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55who always seems to lose his collar and leash,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58so hopefully we can keep this one on him.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00It goes between his shoulder blades on his skin.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02He's a little excited about the meat.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Bullet, the star of the audition, is bounding with enthusiasm...
0:22:07 > 0:22:10..while Bitu's reluctant to follow orders.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Good.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Marielle's first challenge is to get the dogs to cooperate with her.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24But her real problem will be to get the dogs
0:22:24 > 0:22:26to cooperate with each other.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Enough of that.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34Ah, we have a lot of very strong dogs here and all, all males and
0:22:34 > 0:22:38that's a set-up for a lot of aggression amongst them.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41We're hoping to save that aggression for the tigers. Hey, hey.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45No, yeah, too close. Hey, too close.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Barely an hour passes before the first casualty.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Bitu slipped his collar, and attacked Som.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57He's got a pretty nasty looking wound in his hock. Good boy.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Som's gonna have to be retired from the training
0:23:00 > 0:23:04at least for a couple of days and we'll see how this is going.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06It should either be getting much better
0:23:06 > 0:23:08or it may be getting infected.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10If the dogs can't work together,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13they'll never have the strength in numbers
0:23:13 > 0:23:16they need to stand up to a tiger.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Som's injury is a measure of how antisocial these local dogs are.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26The dogs selected by Marielle are all alpha males.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31To survive, they've had to look out for themselves.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36But as loners, they've made themselves vulnerable.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Tigers will eat whatever they can catch.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55As top predator here, they play a vital role
0:23:55 > 0:23:58in keeping the forest wildlife balanced and varied.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05So why has the Chandpai tiger turned its back on its natural prey
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and begun to eat domestic animals and people instead?
0:24:11 > 0:24:15In the forest near the village, Adam makes a discovery that may
0:24:15 > 0:24:18explain why the Chandpai tiger has become so bold.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28This is, er, cattle tracks.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30This means that from the village,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32cows are crossing over and grazing here.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36This might be part of the problem. If a tiger sees cattle a lot,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39it's gonna get used to it, start eating it,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44maybe overcome some of its fear of things associated with people.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48All over the place.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Just cattle. I just can't believe how many tracks there are here.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52If I'm a tiger and I'm hungry,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I see a big fat cow wandering around,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I'm gonna get it after a while.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05the tiger will be walking close by to here...
0:25:11 > 0:25:14does he stay in the forest, does he go into the village
0:25:14 > 0:25:17and take some easy pickings from the cattle in there?
0:25:19 > 0:25:21But Adam and his team are finding further reasons
0:25:21 > 0:25:23for the growing tiger problem.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34As the villages that lie close to the Sundarbans expand,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37wood and other forest resources are being used up.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42People are also illegally poaching deer,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45the tiger's favourite wild prey.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Many villagers realise the tiger's going hungry.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Right up next to the village, there's a tiger track,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37there's one tiger track right here.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Maybe it crossed at some stage.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Hopefully it didn't cause any trouble.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Gonna follow these tracks a little bit further, see where it went.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Even if the villagers stop grazing their cattle
0:26:51 > 0:26:54in the forest and poaching deer,
0:26:54 > 0:26:59it may be too late to reverse the eating habits of the Chandpai tiger.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02It must be stopped from coming to the village.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Good boy, Sheik. Attaboy, ready?
0:27:05 > 0:27:06Sheik, heel.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Good, heel, good boy.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10It was a slow start,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14but now the tiger hounds are getting the hang of things.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Som's leg is on the mend and it looks like he can rejoin the team.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Good, it looks very good.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I think he's just about back to new. OK, Som.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Marielle needs as many dogs as she can get.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Good, sit. Give it to him, that's it.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33After just a few days, the dogs are becoming more responsive.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Make sure that they say "Good, stay",
0:27:40 > 0:27:42when the dog's holding it, especially...
0:27:42 > 0:27:45This may seem a far cry from tiger chasing,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47but absolute obedience is vital
0:27:47 > 0:27:50if the dogs are to be focused on the job.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54One dog in particular has shot to the top of the class.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Well, Bullet's kind of our star pupil so far.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58He's progressing very quickly,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00and that's from a combination of a trainable temperament
0:28:00 > 0:28:02and an effective handler,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05who's done a good job of learning the cues and having good timing.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07So it's coming together nicely.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11Bullet shows strong leadership
0:28:11 > 0:28:14when Marielle introduces the dogs to their first tiger.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19They've yet to discover the difference between fake fur
0:28:19 > 0:28:20and the real thing.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30SCREEN: "Laxmi has been in another fight
0:28:30 > 0:28:32"and has even worse injuries than before..."
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Although the villagers live with tigers on their doorstep,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40few have ever seen one and know little about them.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44So Monirul, Marielle and Adam invite the whole village
0:28:44 > 0:28:47to the screening of a tiger film in the school playground.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49By appreciating the tiger better,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52maybe people will have second thoughts about killing it.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54"..she limps off unsteadily..."
0:28:54 > 0:28:56There's a lot of persuading to do,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59because it's on a dark night like this
0:28:59 > 0:29:02that the Chandpai tiger strikes again.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12This time it's only a goat,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15but Monirul knows, from eight years studying tigers,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18that the loss of just one animal
0:29:18 > 0:29:21can have a devastating impact on family fortunes.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25So there is a fresh pockmark over here.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27THEY CONVERSE IN LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:29:31 > 0:29:34So the tiger grabbed the goat from here
0:29:34 > 0:29:37and took it into the forest, which is only a few metres away
0:29:37 > 0:29:40and there is only a creek between the village and the forest.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44It's a big loss for him, as he is a poor man
0:29:44 > 0:29:49and the goat was pregnant and so it's a very big loss for the family.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Chandpai is losing patience with this tiger.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08I'm gonna call Adam and tell him about this tiger.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Monirul wants Adam to track
0:30:10 > 0:30:12where this tiger went after making its kill.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14MOBILE RINGS OUT
0:30:18 > 0:30:22The tiger is now killing on a weekly basis.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28It may be a protected animal but if it carries on like this,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31villagers will take the law into their own hands.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Even Adam is surprised by its brazen behaviour.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41A goat was killed just over here,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44dragged by the tiger across this canal,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48walked through someone else's back yard,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51jumped from over here right over here, carried on over here.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53We're quite far from the jungle.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01Jumped over here, and went into these open fields over there
0:31:01 > 0:31:06and headed back towards the jungle with the goat in its mouth.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11It's really amazing to me how bold this tiger is.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14It's just wandering around, doesn't care that there's humans about.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20And reaching the river bank, Adam finds the trail's red hot.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23The tiger's been seen in the last hour.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26IN TRANSLATION:
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Sure...
0:31:40 > 0:31:43So he was actually on the other side of the canal.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Maybe it was really close, I don't know.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47There's always some crazy story around tigers,
0:31:47 > 0:31:55but there are tracks over there and we'll have a look right now.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59ADAM WHOOPS AND CLAPS
0:32:10 > 0:32:12OK...
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Really new tracks - these are about as fresh as they get.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21Er, I think that the boy's story is true, the tiger was here
0:32:21 > 0:32:25It's probably very close and there's no reason for us to go in there,
0:32:25 > 0:32:30so I'm just gonna back out and keep, keep safe.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33But, yeah, the tiger's in there. Let's go. Let's go back.
0:32:38 > 0:32:44It would have been hiding just metres away in the dense forest.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47It's way too close for comfort.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Gosh, what a magnificent creature.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17This will be really exciting to see what the dogs do.
0:33:17 > 0:33:23There's no doubt we'll get a reaction today.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27One by one, the dogs are taken to meet the tiger in its den.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Good boy, there we go. Ooh, we're right here, OK.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Bitu's first. BITU YELPS
0:33:32 > 0:33:35It's OK. It's OK. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Go on, tiger.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Good boy. Good tiger. Good boy. That's it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44But Bitu doesn't even make it into the enclosure.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49cos that's obviously very scary for him. Good boy.
0:33:49 > 0:33:55Tom's up next. Will he be braver than Bitu?
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Good boy. Good boy. That's the way, Tom, good for you.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05We're gonna... Watch it. Good boy, good for you, good boy.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09but he held his ground surprisingly well,
0:34:09 > 0:34:15a pretty assertive response to him there.
0:34:15 > 0:34:32Som's gonna give us our strongest reaction yet, one way or the other.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Attaboy, Som.
0:34:34 > 0:34:39Good boy. That's pretty impressive, standing up to that.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Good boy, good boy, Som.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45The next step is to see whether they gain strength in numbers.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50The pack of three head in together for a face-off with the tiger.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55Good boy. Good boy, Bitu. DOGS BARK
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Good boy. Good boy.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Good boy. Good boy, Bitu. Good boy, Bitu.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Good boy. Good boy.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Tiger looks less sure, less sure of itself.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12There, the tiger's leaving, that's a different response we've seen.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Good boy. Good boy. Good.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Good boy. Good boy. Good...
0:35:18 > 0:35:20Good, you. Good boy.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Bitu was the weakest link.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26But brothers Tom and Som took heart from each other,
0:35:26 > 0:35:30showing that dogs that have grown up together work best as a pack.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Good, Som. Good, Som. Attaboy.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34OK, let's move it out here.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37I think our point's been made here. Let's head on out...
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Tom, Som and Bitu's owners have a particular reason
0:35:39 > 0:35:43for wanting their dogs to protect them from tigers.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48They have one of the most dangerous jobs in Bangladesh.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51They are forest honey collectors.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58On April 1st, they join other teams gathered from across the Sundarbans
0:35:58 > 0:36:01to wait for the official start of the honey collection season.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18Hundreds of boats race towards the forest to find the best honey spots.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23But not all these men will return.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31Last year, 20 honey collectors were killed by tigers.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40Monirul and Adam want to find ways of reducing the casualties.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Tom, Som and Bitu's owners
0:36:44 > 0:36:47would also have liked their newly-trained dogs on board,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50but domestic animals are currently not allowed in the forest.
0:36:59 > 0:37:05In the absence of dogs they'll have to rely on spiritual protection.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09MAN CHANTS
0:37:14 > 0:37:17They will not venture into the forest
0:37:17 > 0:37:21until the Gunin or shaman has performed his traditional ritual.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Through his chanting and gestures, he contacts the spirits to find out
0:37:28 > 0:37:31whether this forest is safe to enter.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35THEY ALL CHANT
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Honey is a precious commodity,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45but they will collect as much as they can
0:37:45 > 0:37:47in the shortest time possible.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53They are dicing with death.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05In dense forest, tigers wait silently and ambush their prey.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Found the hive and now we're gonna
0:38:18 > 0:38:21burn some leaves to smoke out the bees so they...
0:38:21 > 0:38:26they're not so aggressive, collect some honey and go back to the boat.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33The smoke may make the bees less aggressive,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37but it reduces visibility to zero.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41It's now that the risk of tiger attack is highest.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Monirul sees just how useful dogs could be.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02I think dogs could make a big difference,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05because it could smell the tiger when people are busy at work
0:39:05 > 0:39:10or when they smoke the honeycomb and perhaps would save their lives.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Although it is not permitted now, but I hope in the future
0:39:13 > 0:39:17perhaps they will be able to use the dogs in the work.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21It's a dangerous job and for not really that much reward
0:39:21 > 0:39:24and they really run a risk of being attacked
0:39:24 > 0:39:25and quite a few of them are.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28So if there's any way we can make them a bit safer,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31then we've got to try those... to try those things.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35The Chandpai street dogs were once treated like dirt,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38but now, both handlers and their dogs
0:39:38 > 0:39:40have become local celebrities.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Marielle even has her own fan club!
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Wow, look, thank you.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Look at 'em all.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Beautiful.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Star status is all very well,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59but Monirul and Marielle want to show the village as a whole
0:39:59 > 0:40:03how the dogs might offer a bit more protection.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09It's my hope that in my short time that I've been here,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13I've been able to excite some people about the possibilities
0:40:13 > 0:40:17that happen when we learn to communicate with our dogs.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Good boy. Way to go.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Som has a fantastic nose for tiger scent,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23and has been trained to sit
0:40:23 > 0:40:26once he gets a whiff from one of the boxes.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Yes, Som. Yes, Som!
0:40:30 > 0:40:32He doesn't let Marielle down.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Good. I think that's probably good. Right? OK? OK!
0:40:41 > 0:40:46After the show, the Chandpai pack assembles on a night patrol.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50If they smell a tiger,
0:40:50 > 0:40:55they'll alert the villagers, and try to drive it back to the forest.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04In just a few weeks they've been transformed
0:41:04 > 0:41:07from street dogs to tiger hounds, and have given the local people
0:41:07 > 0:41:12much-needed courage and confidence in dealing with their problem tiger.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25But this is not the only big cat giving grief in the Sundarbans.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33The Tiger Response Team has learned, via their hotline,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36of a serious incident far to the west of Chandpai.
0:41:39 > 0:41:40A tiger has entered a village
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and some people are injured and the tiger is in fact dead.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46We don't have much more than that - we're on our way to find out.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55It's dark by the time Adam reaches the forest guard post
0:41:55 > 0:41:58where the dead tiger's body has been taken.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04It's a tragic sight to see such a magnificent and rare animal
0:42:04 > 0:42:06bludgeoned to death.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13We're now trying to weigh the tiger, trying to find out how heavy it is.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17We don't know much about tigers in the Sundarbans, how big they are.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20This is important information to see if this tiger
0:42:20 > 0:42:24is a little bit different to tigers living in other areas.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Measurements from other tigers killed by people
0:42:27 > 0:42:29suggest that Sundarbans tigers
0:42:29 > 0:42:32may be much smaller than other Bengal tigers.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39Adam notes this tiger's identity, sex and age.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43We know it's a young female because of the condition of its teeth.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46The teeth are very new, very sharp and not worn in any way.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49It's got all its incisors, all its canines.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I think it's probably about three years old.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56This young female was close to breeding age.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Over the past century,
0:43:00 > 0:43:05tiger numbers worldwide have plummeted by 95%.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08And now there's one less tiger in the Sundarbans.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Adam wants to find out more about how she died,
0:43:17 > 0:43:21but for that, he'll have to wait for daybreak.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25MEN SHOUT AND THUD STICKS
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Back in Chandpai, Marielle has just a couple of days left
0:43:28 > 0:43:31before she must return to the US.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Great job, guys, that was much better and more focused.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Um, like to see if we can get it even a little bit more.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41While the pack perfect their tiger-driving skills,
0:43:41 > 0:43:43she has one final job to do...
0:43:43 > 0:43:46She will have to choose one of the dog handlers
0:43:46 > 0:43:48to continue the training.
0:43:48 > 0:43:53One has exactly the skills and attitude she's looking for.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58MAN CHANTS
0:43:58 > 0:43:59It's Shubod,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01the owner of star dog, Bullet.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06If local people can show such resolve,
0:44:06 > 0:44:09then Adam won't have tragic missions like this.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14He travels to where the other tiger was killed
0:44:14 > 0:44:18and talks to the locals to build up a picture of what happened.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23This is the place where they first saw the tiger.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27About 20, 25 people came with sticks. It attacked one person.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Then the tiger just shot off in this direction.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34We're gonna go and see the next scene of what happened.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Frightened and confused,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39the tiger would have lashed out in self-defence.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44This is the next place. The tiger paused again.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48We've travelled about 40 metres through the paddy fields.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50They shouted, they tried to get close to it,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53tried to scare it away, it attacked one person.
0:44:53 > 0:44:54It turns out it was no man-eater.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59Just a stray tiger in the wrong place at the wrong time.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02So again the tiger pauses. It's travelled about 15 metres.
0:45:02 > 0:45:03The same group of people,
0:45:03 > 0:45:06at the moment there's just a small group of villagers.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08Right here it attacked three people,
0:45:08 > 0:45:12injuring, biting, scratching, and again it moved on,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15trying, just trying to escape these angry villagers.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Everyone is coming, everyone from the village is coming,
0:45:18 > 0:45:22maybe more than 1,000 or 2,000 people.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26This is the last place that the tiger attacked someone.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28And suddenly you come across the scene of
0:45:28 > 0:45:30a very violent and frightening confrontation.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Yesterday at 11 o'clock, a tiger was right here.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42And there was maybe 2,000 or 3,000 villagers surrounding it,
0:45:42 > 0:45:44beating it to death with sticks.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Why it happened was because people didn't know what to do.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51They were afraid and they had no training in...
0:45:51 > 0:45:52in how to proceed.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54Um, we're gonna change that.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57We're gonna have teams that can respond to these incidents
0:45:57 > 0:46:00and know how to work around tigers,
0:46:00 > 0:46:04and know when to intervene and when to just keep people
0:46:04 > 0:46:07separate from the tiger until it has a chance to go back to the jungle.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Adam has a huge task ahead of him,
0:46:15 > 0:46:17but Marielle's work here is done.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21This is the end of our training together.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23It's been a wonderful experience for me...
0:46:23 > 0:46:26It's time for the dog pack to graduate.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29..learned to appreciate what your dogs are capable of.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32I've written up a training manual that I will leave with you
0:46:32 > 0:46:33that's been translated
0:46:33 > 0:46:37so that you have the tools to continue the work after I go.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39MEN CHANT
0:46:39 > 0:46:42The dogs are still a trial study.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46But the villagers of Chandpai have seen their potential.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50Long-term they'll need to breed the best qualities from their dogs...
0:46:52 > 0:46:55Som's superb scent detection,
0:46:55 > 0:46:57Bullet's courage and intelligence...
0:46:57 > 0:47:01Hey, hey, hey, hey! Sheik's aggressive attitude. Good boy.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03..Yes. Still.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05SHE CHUCKLES
0:47:05 > 0:47:10Packs could be formed in other villages bordering the forest.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13Sure enjoyed working with you.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16You're a fun dog to do all kinds of stuff with.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19And you, you lead them on into the future, OK, Bullet?
0:47:19 > 0:47:22Yes. Sire lots of future tiger hounds.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Hopefully, Monirul's idea and Marielle's legacy
0:47:27 > 0:47:29will be a lasting one.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37The human-tiger problem must be resolved
0:47:37 > 0:47:42because the repercussions are huge for people and tigers.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46IN TRANSLATION:
0:47:55 > 0:47:59If people can find a way of minimising conflict,
0:47:59 > 0:48:03then the Bengal tiger might be seen as the region's greatest asset,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07rather than its most terrifying threat,
0:48:07 > 0:48:12and the Sundarbans will remain a last great refuge for the tiger.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04Soak up the atmosphere at the most famous flower show in the world.