Leopard spends 7 hours atop trees in MP’s reserve to escape tigress

Noticing the fight, the leopard intervened and helped the weaker tigress flee. This angered the dominating tigress, who started chasing the leopard, Annegiri said.

Published on: Feb 27, 2022, 05:33:57 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Meddling in a territorial fight between two tigress did not end very well for a leopard as it had to spend seven hours on trees, officials at Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve said on Saturday.

On Friday morning, forest officials learnt about a territorial fight between two tigresses in Pator range of Bageha beat. (Representational image)

On Friday morning, forest officials learnt about a territorial fight between two tigresses in Pator range of Bageha beat. “It was a fierce fight, and resulted in one tigress being brutally attacked by the other,” said BS Annegiri, field director of the tiger reserve.

Noticing the fight, the leopard intervened and helped the weaker tigress flee. This angered the dominating tigress, who started chasing the leopard, Annegiri said.

“The leopard first tried to run away, but realising the tigress was very close, it hurriedly climbed a tree at around 8 am. The tigress sat below watching the leopard and roaring in anger,” he added.

An hour later, the leopard came down, thinking the tigress had probably dozed off. “As soon as the leopard came down, the tigress jumped on its feet and attacked the leopard again,” the field director said. Before the tigress could come closer, the leopard hurriedly climbed on another tree. This ordeal repeated thrice.

When the escape seemed difficult, the leopard opted for an alternative. It started “jumping from one branch of the tree to another”, but tigress kept following, he said.

At around 3 pm, the tigress finally left. “A few minutes later, a visibly exhausted leopard came down and left,” he said.

Meanwhile, another forest team was deputed to search the injured tigress that had disappeared after the fight. After around two hours of search, the badly injured tigress was found. The forest field director said the tigress was provided the first aid.

Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is home to at least 124 tigers, the highest in the state. In 2021, 41 cubs were spotted in BTR.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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