Jharkhand family gets ₹1.41L award for saving tranquilized tiger
When a Royal Bengal tiger wandered into their home in Mardu village, Purandar Mahto and his daughter Sonika Kumari didn't panic—they calmly got everyone to safety, trapped the tiger in a room, and called the Forest Department.
This quick-thinking rescue happened on June 25, 2025, near the Jharkhand-West Bengal border.
Tiger was roaming between forests for over 2 years
The tiger, named Quila, had been roaming between forests since 2023 before ending up at their house. After being safely tranquilized and checked by wildlife officials, Quila was released back into the wild.
On August 1, at Ranchi's Van Mahotsav festival, Mahto and Kumari were celebrated for their courage with awards totaling ₹1.41 lakh.
Officials also used the moment to highlight how much forest cover has dropped in Jharkhand—and why local communities like theirs are so important for protecting wildlife and planting more trees.