Tiger picks toddler in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. How his mother saves him

The 15-month-old infant who was saved by his 22-year-old mother is out of danger and admitted to Madhya Pradesh’s Umaria district hospital

Published on: Sep 5, 2022, 18:26:30 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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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.

Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve officials said the tiger had been driven into the forest after the incident, away from the village (AFP File Photo)

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.

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.

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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