A 45-year-old woman from Uttarakhand, India, was attacked by a tiger and dragged into the forest. She was being pulled by the head and her left shoulder was grabbed by the tiger’s sharp claws. Thinking that she was about to become tiger food, she desperately fought with the mighty beast with a scythe she was holding. When she successfully cut loose from the tiger’s grip, she was rescued in time and sent to the hospital.
The near-death experience took place in the town of Haldwani in the Kumaon District. Leela Latwal was working in the field when a tiger snuck up behind her and dragged her away. Leela desperately hit the tiger’s head with the scythe and was screaming for help. After dragging her a few meters away, the tiger finally let her go but did not leave.
“When the tiger approached, it bit my head tightly as soon as I turned around.” Leela said, “When I was facing death, the only thought in my mind was that I must fight back with all my strength. The tiger probably thought that I would be unconscious later, so I waited for the opportunity for it to put me on the side. When it let me go, I stood up and faced it off with a stone and a scythe in my hand.”
Luckily, people were passing nearby and heard her cry for help. Leela was then immediately brought to the hospital. She was badly injured, with 30 stitches placed on her head and at least 10 stitches on her shoulders.
The forestry director claimed that Leela illegally entered the area to mow grass and that they are unwilling to pay her any compensation, though they agreed to help with the medical bills.
