A quiet morning in Mardu village turned into chaos on Wednesday when a full-grown tiger wandered into a home and refused to leave for over 12 hours.
The predator barged into the house of Puran Chand Mahato at 4:30 a.m., just as he returned from his night duty. When Mahato stepped out to check on his goats, he was stunned to find the tiger inside. In a moment of bravery, he safely evacuated his two daughters and locked the beast inside the house.
As word spread, a massive crowd gathered. Authorities rushed to impose Section 144, restricting movement within 200 metres.
Forest officials tried to tranquilize the tiger but failed. A more skilled team from Palamu’s Betla Tiger Reserve was then called in. The tiger, thought to be a Royal Bengal Tiger, was still inside the house by late afternoon.
The house, now sealed off, remains the centre of a tense and dramatic rescue effort. The village, close to the West Bengal border, has never witnessed such a terrifying encounter.
With inputs from IANS