The Hindu : National : Are the Sentinels cannibals?

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Saturday, Feb 04, 2006

National

National

Are the Sentinels cannibals?

Special Correspondent

— Photo courtesy Coast Guard

The tribals on the islands

CHENNAI: Are the Sentinels on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands really cannibals?

The Coast Guard has found some evidence that seems to indicate that this extremely hostile tribe might not be.

Officials said that while nothing could be proved conclusively, the fact that two fishermen were found killed on the island — but were not eaten — called for greater study into the behaviour of the tribe.

A press release said that a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft on a routine sortie reported sighting an unmanned dinghy on the North Sentinel Islands on January 27. The same evening, Vandoor Fishermen Welfare Association, Port Blair, reported that a dinghy with two fishermen was missing since January 25.

Since the description of the dinghy matched with the one that the Coast Guard had spotted, a helicopter was tasked the next day to investigate the dinghy. The helicopter identified the dinghy by its colour and its name. The sound of a helicopter disturbed the Sentinels but the helicopter crew managed to divert their attention and located the bodies of the missing fishermen. This information was passed on to the administration, the release added.

"This fact that the Sentinels did not eat the fishermen is in contradiction with the common belief that these tribals are cannibals," says the release.

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