BHOPAL: A 22-year-old woman repeatedly hit a tiger with her bare hands till the big cat, which had clamped its jaws around her 15-month-old son’s head, let him go and attacked her in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh’s Umaria district, officials said on Monday.
Doctors said the woman, who was mauled by the tiger till the villagers heard her cries and came to her rescue, is being treated for multiple injuries including a fracture to her neck.
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve field director BS Annegiri said the tiger had been in the area for a long time but was not known to have hurt anyone. On Sunday, he said, the tiger tried to kill cattle but failed. “Later, the tiger saw the baby and his mother. He attacked the baby but the mother saved him”.
Umaria district hospital civil surgeon Dr LN Ruhela said the woman, Archana Chaudhary was referred to the Jabalpur medical college because her condition was serious. “Archana is in a serious condition with injuries to her lungs and back. Her neck is also fractured,” Ruhela said.
Her son, Rajveer, is out of danger, the doctor said. “Rajveer received injuries to his head and he is out of danger,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Her son, Rajveer, is out of danger, the doctor said. “Rajveer received injuries to his head and he is out of danger,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Archana’s husband Bhola Chaudhary, a resident of Jwalamukhi basti of Rohniya village, said the incident took place at about 10am on Sunday when she went to the jungle along with the infant to relieve herself.
“Rajveer was sitting and Archana was standing nearby. Suddenly, a tiger emerged, picked Rajveer and started walking away. Archana ran after the tiger for about 5 metres, hitting the tiger with her hands to save her son. The tiger left the child and attacked Archana,” said Bhola Chaudhary.
He added that the villagers came with canes and the tiger ran away from the area.
Last year in December, a mother saved her son from clutch of leopard in Sidhi district.