| Click here to watch the footage | | | | down," Dr Choudhary narrated. What now |
| The forest department received a message early | | | | happened was even more amazing. As the tigress |
| on May 19th about a large tiger which had killed | | | | landed on the ground Joymala quickly pinned her |
| two cows near Tamuli Pathar village, which is | | | | down with her left fore foot and tried to control |
| close to the boundary of the Kaziranga National | | | | it with its trunk. The tigress struggled under this |
| Park (KNP) in the north-eastern Assam state. By | | | | weight for at least half a minute roaring, as other |
| 10 am a joint team of the Assam forest | | | | people in the vicinity shouted and fired shots in |
| department including the director of the park, Mr | | | | the air. In this commotion another attempt was |
| N. K. Vasu, the local administration, police and the | | | | made to dart it, but even this shot was off the |
| army, and the Wildlife Trust of | | | | mark. The tigress finally struggled loose and ran |
| India(WTI)-managed Centre for Wildlife | | | | away. |
| Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) was | | | | "If it had not been for Joymala, both Bodo and |
| combing the area with five elephants trying to | | | | the guard would have been badly injured or dead," |
| locate the animal. | | | | he said. Meanwhile, Joymala, which was trying to |
| Range officer, Dharanidhar Bodo, Dr Chaudhary | | | | aggressively chase the tigress, was calmed by |
| along with a guard were riding the elephant, | | | | the CWRC veterinarian, who was holding on to |
| Joymala, driven by Pegu. Bodo was carrying the | | | | the profusely bleeding mahout. "His fingers were |
| darting gun. As the elephant moved towards the | | | | hanging by few shreds of tissue and I tried to |
| tigress, it did a mock charge. The guard fired two | | | | tourniquet the wounds," he said. |
| blanks to discourage her and she ran away into | | | | The two sub-adult tigers had strayed out of the |
| the next field, where the paddy was thick and hid | | | | heavily wooded Agoratuli range of the KNP into |
| there. | | | | the neighbouring Tamuli Pathar village close to the |
| The team cautiously moved towards it and could | | | | national highway. It was speculated that the |
| get to almost 20 feet where she was growling | | | | mother could be nearby, but she could not be |
| away. Bodo could see her clearly and took a shot | | | | spotted. |
| at it with the dart gun. The dart missed her and | | | | KNP has one of the highest density of tigers |
| this enraged her so much that she charged and | | | | among the protected areas in India , but are |
| took a "flying" leap on to the elephant's head. "I | | | | difficult to see due to the thick vegetation in this |
| have not seen something as dramatic as this," | | | | grassland dominated park. |
| Vivek Menon, executive director WTI, who | | | | The Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and |
| recently saw the footage, said. "I could never | | | | Conservation (CWRC) is a joint venture of the |
| imagine that a tiger could so effortlessly leap | | | | Assam forest department and the Wildlife Trust |
| from the ground on to an adult elephant's head, | | | | of India, and is supported by its partner the |
| which is at least 12 feet above the ground," he | | | | International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). This |
| said. | | | | rescue and rehabilitation facility for animals of the |
| The footage showed that Pegu saw the tigress | | | | region is a first of its kind facility in India has |
| leaping and threw the metal ankush at it to | | | | handled over 300 animals in the last two years |
| defend himself. "The tigress saw the ankush | | | | including mega-herbivores like elephants, rhinos and |
| coming, dodged it in mid-leap and took a swipe at | | | | wild buffaloes. These were the first tigers brought |
| Pegu without actually landing on the elephant, | | | | to the facility in two years of its existence. |
| which had stepped back," Menon said. | | | | Note : This post relies information from this |
| "It all happened in a few seconds and before we | | | | source. |
| knew what both Bodo and the guard had fallen | | | | |