Meet Archana Choudhary, a courageous mother who fought a tiger to save 15-month-old son

A story of exemplary courage has surfaced from Madhya Pradesh where a 25-year-old mother has become the epitome of bravery. A tiger took hold of her 15-month-old son in a moment that appeared to have gone out of her hands. What was destined to end up as a tragedy became an act and tale of bravado as Archana Choudhary decided not to give up and save her child at any cost. 

The incident is from Rohania village in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It falls under the Mala beat of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. On Sunday morning, the woman had taken her toddler son to an open field to answer nature's call. A tiger suddenly attacked her son and held him by its jaws. Instead of being stunned by the moment, Archana decided to act and took on the tiger. 

When she attempted to save her son, the tiger also attacked her. Archana did not give up and kept trying to fight off the tiger and save her son. Amidst the struggle, she also raised an alarm in hope of getting some help. Her alarm alerted some villagers who later reached the spot and and used sticks and stones to chase away the predator. The tiger left the mother and son and escaped to the forest. 

However, the incident left both Archana and her son hurt. While her son received injuries on his head and back, Archana received wounds on her hands, waist and back, her husband Bhola Prasad informed. The two were immediately taken to nearby health facility and then the district hospita for treatment. Both are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. 

Meanwhile, a forest department team is trying to trace the tiger and ensure that steps are taken for the safety of the people living in the area, who have been left scared by the sudden tiger attack. 

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(With inputs from PTI)