Doctors treat brave boy who survived tiger attack by pulling big cat's tongue

Gurugram: Doctors here treated a brave 17-year-old boy who survived a scary tiger attack by pulling the tongue of the big cat.

The boy, Ankit, hailing from Uttrakhand's Ramnagar was on his way back home from school in November, last year, when a tiger sitting on a tree attacked him from behind, grabbing his neck and scalp in its mouth.

Even as the tiger somehow lost its grip, the boy in an act of bravery pulled the tiger's tongue with his right hand and saved his life.

"My head was in the tiger's mouth and I pulled its tongue," said Ankit, in a statement. However, the teenager suffered several injuries to his face, neck, scalp, and right hand, and had to undergo multiple reconstructive surgeries.

After being stabilised at a nearby medical facility, he was referred to Manipal Hospital, Gurugram.

He was presented to the hospital with a massive blood loss and upon admission his haemoglobin count was 3.

"His scalp was lost, his skull bone was exposed, his right ear was dangling, his face was slashed, and his right-hand thumb was partially amputated," said the hospital in the statement.

"Ankit's condition required reconstructive surgeries. We performed those surgeries over months to salvage his scalp and hand. He would require a few more to improve the functional and aesthetic outcomes. Ankit had been very brave and cooperative in the entire process of surgeries and postoperative phase," said Ashish Dhingra, Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon at Manipal Hospital, Gurugram.

After four months, Ankit is now recovering well. His scalp, face, and hand injuries have healed, and he is "getting better every day". He has now resumed his normal life, the doctor noted.