Tiger found lying on bed inside house while sheltering from India floods
- 18 Jul 2019
A tiger was found lying on a bed inside a house as it sheltered from a deadly monsoon in India.
The adult Royal Bengal tiger is thought to have strayed into a village near Kaziranga National Park, in Assam, as 95 per cent of the protected area was submerged by severe flooding.
The adult toger — weighing more than 90 kilogrammes — was like many other beasts in the World Heritage-listed Kaziranga National Park, trying to reach dry land as the reserve became submerged by heavy rains.
Wild buffaloes running in floodwaters, exhausted rhinos resting on patches of land and elephants crossing a road were some of the unusual sights as rangers raced to reach animals struggling in the waters.
A tiger from the Kaziranga National Park is seen taking shelter in a shop following heavy rains in Assam. AFP
More than 50 wild animals have died so far, including some in traffic accidents, as they tried to cross a busy highway outside the park and reach the nearby Karbi hills, local media reported.
The Wildlife Trust of India tweeted an image of the animal, which could be seen resting its head on its arm as it led in the bed.
The owner of the house was reportedly alerted to his guest when neighbours began screaming as they saw it entering his home.
Park director Shiv Kumar said: “It appears the tiger strayed into a human settlement area to escape the floods and now appears very tired. We are preparing to tranquillise the tiger.”
The Wildlife Trust said the tiger was spotted walking across the national highway as it headed towards nearby hills for refuge at about 8.30am on Thursday.
It tweeted: “Probably disturbed, he jumped across the wall of a scrap garage & took refuge in the dark room [of the house].”
Park and trust officials tranquilised the animal and waited until dark before they blocked off the highway and helped it to return to the safety of the forest.
The monsoon season, which lasts from June to September, has brought heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides to Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
At least 43 animals have been killed, as well as 97 people, including children, in the Indian states of Bihar and northeastern Assam, officials said.
The Independent / AFP
