'My Head Was In Its Mouth, I Pulled Its Tongue¡¯ How A 17-Year-Old Fought Off A Tiger

Not many people who have come face-to-face with a tiger have lived to tell the tale. But a 17-year-old boy from Ramnagar, Uttarakhand wrestled a tiger and survived.

On November 2, 2023 Ankit was returning from school, when he was attacked by a tiger.

BCCL

17-year-old fights off tiger

The tiger pounced on Ankit from behind a tree, grabbed his neck and scalp in its mouth.

But luckily for the teenager, the tiger somehow lost its grip, and sensing an opportunity the boy pulled the big cat's tongue with his right hand and saved his life.

"I was coming from school, and there was a tiger on the road. It attacked me and dragged me into the jungle. It attacked me from behind, and I was severely injured. It bit my head, but I immediately reacted and grabbed its tongue. After that, I managed to escape," Ankit said.

REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE

Tiger attack leaves him seriously injured

While he managed to escape from the claws of death, the tiger attack left Ankit severely injured to his face, neck, scalp, and right hand.

He was soon rushed to a local hospital, from where he was referred to AIIMS Rishikesh.

Later his family took Ankit to the Manipal Hospital in Gurugram.

Doctors shocked

According to the doctors there, when Ankit was brought to the hospital everyone was astonished to see how he managed to get himself out of the tiger's mouth.

He had a massive blood loss and upon admission, he had only When Ankit was brought to the hospital everyone was astonished to see how he managed to get himself out of the tiger's mouth.

He had a massive blood loss and his scalp was lost, his skull bone was exposed, his right ear was dangling, his face was slashed, and his right-hand thumb was partially amputated, the doctors recalled.

BCCL

Remarkable recovery

But under the care of Plastic Surgeon Dr. Asheesh Dhingra and Anesthesiologist Dr. Yogita Pitale who performed reconstructive surgery on him, Ankit made a remarkable recovery.

After 4 months, Ankit is now recovering well. His scalp, face, and hand injuries have healed, and he is ¡®getting better every day¡¯. He has now resumed his normal life.

"When the patient came to us, he had faced severe injuries to his scalp, face, neck, and hand. The wounds still had the debris and leaves from the place he had fought for his life with the tiger. His condition required reconstructive surgeries. We performed those surgeries over months to salvage his scalp and hand. He would require a few more to improve the functional and aesthetic outcomes," Dr. Dhingra, said.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.