An Indian mother chased down a leopard for almost a mile and fought the predator with her bare hands to save her six-year-old son from its deadly jaws.
The woman, identified as Kiran Baiga, her husband, and their four children lives in a village near Madhya Pradesh, India.
At around 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 28, Baiga was sitting next to a fire outside her hut with her children. Her youngest, an infant, was in her lap as she waited for her husband to return home from work.
Three other children, including six-year-old Rahul, were sitting next to her, unaware that they were being watched by the hungry predator.
In a flash, the animal pounced on Rahul, took him in its jaws, and disappeared into the darkness.
Although Baiga was shocked by the unexpected encounter, she was quick to react. She handed over the infant to her other children and ushered them inside the hut before sprinting after the leopard with a stick in her hand.
A Times of India report said Baiga ran behind the Leopard for about a mile before spotting the predator sitting under a tree, with its paws resting on the boy.
The brave mother lunged at the big cat and struck it with the stick before using her bare hands to grab her son and pull him away from the predator’s deadly claws.
Baiga managed to free the boy, but the leopard then attacked the mother. She grabbed its paw and pushed it away.
Villagers who heard her cries rushed to the spot and chased away the leopard.
The injured mother and son were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Although the boy suffered deep wounds on his face, the mother-son duo was reported to be in stable condition and is expected to recover soon.
Efforts are being put in to identify and track down the maneater, authorities said.
A similar incident was reported in the tiger reserve in Feb. this year when a leopard attacked and killed a 12-year-old girl as she and her mother collected firewood from the forest.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.