On Thursday, when Kunjaram Yadav and his wife Phoolwati entered a jungle in the buffer zone of the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh in search of their missing cow, they were unaware of what was lying in wait for them.
The sun was about to set when they entered the Jhangul beat in Mandla’s Bamhani Range. After walking for a while, the couple was stunned to see two tigers guarding their dead cow. Now the challenge was to escape from there. Luckily they had been accompanied by a bodyguard in the form of their pet dog.
The tigers snarled viciously before suddenly leaping at them, the Times of India reported. Seeing the tigers attack his owners, the dog jumped between them and started barking furiously before charging at the big cats.
Taken aback, the tigers paused and stepped back, giving enough time for the couple to beat a hasty retreat. To their surprise, shortly after the incident, the dog also caught up with them. Yadav, who was clawed by the tigers, received several stitches at the local hospital.
Man-animal conflicts near national parks have always been a cause of worry for villagers residing nearby. In many cases, these encounters have turned fatal. This incident may have also had a grim end but for the presence of mind of the pet dog.