Chandrapur: A 60-year-old farmer fought off a tiger with a sickle after the big cat suddenly attacked him while he was cutting grass in a field near Girgaon village in Nagbhid taluka on Wednesday morning. The farmer sustained serious injuries but survived after women harvesting paddy in a nearby field raised an alarm, forcing the tiger to retreat.The incident occurred around 11am along the Kanhalgaon-Girgaon road, about 10km from Talodhi. The victim, Devaji Pandurang Wadhai, was cutting grass in a field belonging to Sulka Amarsing Nikure (survey No. 338) when the tiger, reportedly lying in wait, pounced on him.Caught off guard, Wadhai used the sickle in his hand to resist the attack. As the struggle unfolded, women working in a nearby paddy field noticed the incident and began shouting loudly. The combined resistance and noise prompted the tiger to abandon its attack, allowing Wadhai to escape.He was initially taken to the primary health centre at Sindewahi and later shifted to Chandrapur Government Medical College and Hospital for further treatment.The attack has triggered fear among farmers and agricultural workers amid the ongoing paddy harvesting season. Forest department sources said two live cameras and five camera traps had been installed in the area to monitor tiger movement. Patrolling has also been intensified, and an alert issued to residents.
