Face-to-face with tiger, Kannur farmer clings to tree for 45 minutes with broken hand before rescue

Iritty (Kannur): A 68-year-old farmer in Iritty, Kannur district had a heart-stopping encounter with a tiger on his farmland on Friday. With a fractured hand, he clung for his life to a tree for nearly 45 minutes, while the predator rested just three metres away after feasting on a wild boar.

Vallikkavungal Appachan (Mathew), a resident of Angadikadavu, had ventured to his farm on Attayoli hill around 9 am, armed with firecrackers to scare away monkeys that were damaging his crops. Still recovering from a hand fracture sustained a year ago, Appachan could not have imagined that a routine morning would turn into a life-or-death struggle.

Hearing unusual noises from a neighbouring farm downhill, he went to investigate—and came face to face with the tiger. Without hesitation, despite the pain from his injured hand, he climbed a nearby cashew nut tree, keeping a firecracker and cigarette lighter in hand, hoping to fend off the wild animal.

For 45 tense minutes, Appachan remained trapped on the tree. His calls for help went unheard, but he was able to contact friends and relatives on his mobile. Meanwhile, the tiger stayed remarkably still, seemingly uninterested in attacking, until a group of rescuers from Angadikadavu, led by headload worker Jaison and driver Chandran, arrived to guide him safely down. The tiger eventually rose and walked away.

Police and Forest Department officials later inspected the area. Appachan survived the encounter unharmed, but his terrifying ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the increasing human-wildlife conflicts in the region.