A local official said, Wednesday, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, that an Indian woman managed to save herself and her 15-month-old son from the clutches of a tiger by defending herself with her bare hands.

Archana Choudary had just left her home on Sunday evening, with her 15-month-old baby, when they were pounced by a tiger believed to have strayed from the Bandhavgarh reserve.And the Local official Sanjeev Shrivastava told AFP.

He added that the cat attacked them and was about to bite the baby’s head when the mother intervened at the last minute.

The tiger continued to attack them, until the villagers, alerted by the cries of the mother, rushed to their aid. Then the animal fled into the forest.

The mother had perforated lungs and also injuries to her stomach. The fangs pulled out the little boy’s head.

“She has been admitted to hospital. She is out of danger and recovering. The baby is also in good health,” Mr. Shrivastava said.

Conflicts increase

According to the “Times of India” newspaper, an operation was carried out to help the tiger regain its territory. The villagers were asked not to go out in the middle of the night.

Human-wildlife conflict is growing across South Asia, as more and more forests are retreating in the face of urbanization.

Nearly 225 people were killed in tiger attacks between 2014 and 2019 in India, according to government figures.

More than 200 tigers were killed by poachers or electrocuted between 2012 and 2018, according to the data. India is home to about 70% of the world’s tiger population, or 2,967 individuals recorded in 2018.