Vandiperiyar (Idukki): Two forest guards narrowly escaped a tiger attack here while attempting to tranquillize the animal. The forest guards, Manu and Aromal, were part of a special task force assigned to tranquilize a tiger that had been spotted in a tea plantation area. Both are currently undergoing treatment at the government hospital in Kumily.

Manu, who was at the forefront of the operation, stated that it was impossible to determine the exact position of the tiger in the dense tea plantation. "We couldn't be sure if the first tranquillizer shot had hit the tiger correctly. That's when we decided to fire another shot," Manu said. However, as soon as the second shot was fired, the tiger suddenly pounced on them.

"Since Aromal and the doctor were behind me, even if I tried to escape, one of them would have been attacked," Manu recalled. He had no choice but to try and protect his team. "I used a shield to block the tiger, but the shield broke when it hit me. Then it jumped higher and struck me on the head, knocking off my helmet. I was really scared. After that, I don’t remember much. I regained consciousness after a while, and by then, the tiger had been shot."

Manu explained that despite the tiger's attack, his helmet likely helped minimize injuries. "Physically, there is not too much injury, although the tiger hit me hard on the head. The helmet helped," he said, adding that he now feels sore and tired.

Aromal, who was also receiving medical care, said, "When Manu's helmet fell off, we had no choice but to shoot in self-defense. We shot because the tiger was getting dangerously close". He clarified that the tiger was already weak when the team arrived on the scene. "When we reached the tiger, it was lying weak."

Latest developments suggest that the tiger had been injured earlier. According to the forest department, the tiger had fallen into a poacher’s trap, which weakened it further. The department confirmed that the tiger had wandered into the residential area following the incident. A case will be registered against the poachers, and an investigation is underway.

The tiger's body was later transported to Thekkady, where a postmortem will be conducted on Tuesday to determine the exact cause of death.