Indian Mother Severely Injured During Fight to Save Baby from Tiger

September 7, 2022

A mother from Madhya Pradesh, India, was gravely injured as she struggled to fight off a tiger that attacked her 15-month-old son.

Reports state that Archana Choudhary was outside with her son on Sunday when a tiger suddenly jumped from nearby bushes. The tiger attacked the child, first clamping down on the infant’s head and then attempting to do the same to his neck. The Times of India reported that Choudhary did not have a weapon but got between her son and the animal that continuously tried to snatch the child.

Eventually, the villagers heard the mother’s screams and came to their aid, driving the tiger back into the woods. Choudhary and her son were first taken to Manpur primary health centre and the district hospital in Umaria, then sent to Jabalpur to receive further treatment. The infant’s wounds on his head were reported as not serious; however, the mother had punctured lungs, deep wounds on her abdomen, and injuries to her back and hands. Both were treated in the intensive care unit and received anti-rabies injections.

Choudhary resides in the village of Rohania with her family, which is within proximity to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, where the animal is believed to have strayed from. Villagers within the surrounding area have been told to remain indoors during the night as a search is underway to find the tiger and take it back to the reserve. According to reports, senior government official Sanjeev Srivastava disclosed that arrangements were being made to guarantee more tigers did not escape the reserve.