Imagine walking into your bedroom and finding a tiger sitting on your bed. That is exactly what a Royal Bengal Tiger was found doing today morning at a local resident’s house in Bagori in the Indian state of Assam.
In images tweeted by the Wildlife Trust India, the tiger was seen laying down on what appears to be a bed. The photos seem to have been taken through a hole in the wall.
But, how did the tiger get there? Like many other animals it seems to have strayed out of the flooded Kaziranga National Park and ended up in a house near the national highway.
Kaziranga National Park under water
Media reports state that about 80 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and 95 camps are under water. The floods have left many animals dead or displaced from the world-renowned national park.
Tweeps from Assam have shared videos and pictures of other animals trying to escape to safer places.
Park officials said the striped cat, possibly a female, was spotted at 8.30 am near the national highway along the southern edge of the national park.
Analysing how the big car reached the house @wti_org_india tweeted: “The #tiger was spotted next to the highway at 8.30am, moving from the park, just 200 meters away, on its way to Karbi hills abt 500 meters across the national highway. Probably disturbed, he jumped across the wall of a scrap garage and took refuge in the dark room.”
Rescue mission
At first, forest officials said attempts were on to tranquillise the tiger and take it to safety.
@wti_org_india posted: “#JustIn our vet @samshulwildvet is making plans with #AssamForestDepartment @kaziranga_ to tranquillise a #tiger that has entered a house and is relaxing on a bed! #AssamFloods bring in unusual guests!”
An hour later, the Wildlife Trust India shared an image of the road and area that the tiger needed to cross to get back to the forest.
Highlighting how encroachment of forest areas have adversely affected animals, @wti_org_india wrote: “Highways and settlements block the animals’ #RightOfPassage.”
By afternoon, a team reached the location and started preparing for a safe passage for the tiger.
@wti_org_india tweeted an update: “As the sun goes down, our team with @kaziranga_ prepares to block the highway and clear the area to provide a safe passage to the tiger. Fingers crossed!”
Like many others @elpresto777 thanked the teams involved in the rescue. The tweep wrote: “Thank you for your thoughtful actions in taking care this fabulous tiger.”
And, @ragh_twt posted: “Finally found how to say dry... all working on helping this guy, keep safe!”
Climate change causing flash floods
The national park is bound to the north by the river Brahmaputra and highland areas in its south. Two years ago, over 360 animals including 31 rhinos and a tiger drowned in floods.
Assam floods have also displaced thousands of people too. Rise in average global temperatures have led to a worrying trend of no rain for long periods and then a sudden bout of excessive rainfall, causing extreme weather events, particularly floods. Other states experiencing floods include Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura. Parts of Maharashtra have been put on high alert, media reported.
Tweep @Bharati09 wrote: “Unbelievable what climate change is doing to our norms of normal. In #Assam this tiger tries to escape drowning and ends up on a human bed, floral print and all. Such majestic tragedy.”
