Heart-stopping moment as farmer and tiger meet; IFS officer shares video

LUCKNOW: In a nail-biting wildlife encounter, a farmer in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit had a face-off with a tiger that's leaving social media users both shocked and amused. The 42-second clip, shared by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows a close encounter that could have turned fatal.

The video captures the farmer sitting on his bike, seemingly unaware of the striped predator lurking nearby. As the tiger emerges from the tall grass, the farmer spots the danger and swiftly turns his motorcycle around, ready to make a hasty retreat. But in a twist that no one saw coming, the tiger simply stops in its tracks and decides to take a load off, settling down for a relaxed rest instead of giving chase.

Kaswan captioned the video with a touch of humour, "This is what coexistence looks like. From Pilibhit". The internet has since exploded with reactions, with one user commenting, "Luckily this went well. Won't happen so each time. Co-existence works best while respecting certain boundaries and allowing adequate means for sustenance". Another quipped, "Tiger aaj veg mode me tha," which translates to "The tiger was in vegetarian mode today".

The heart-stopping video has brought the escalating human-wildlife conflict in rural areas into sharp focus. This incident occurred in Pilibhit, a region close to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.

This isn't the first time Pilibhit has seen such encounters. Just a few months prior, in September 2024, a 60-year-old farmer was killed by a tiger in the same district, sparking protests from villagers who blamed the forest department for negligence.

Parveen Kaswan has warned against provoking wild animals, especially elephants, noting that harassment can cause stress and defensive actions in the animals. Kaswan earlier shared a video on X showing a man teasing an elephant, which led to the animal charging after initially retreating. Kaswan cautioned that irritating wild animals can cause them to behave aggressively toward humans for days afterward. He also noted that provoking wildlife is unethical and can create human-animal conflict."

A farmer and a tiger encounter. This is what coexistence looks like. From Pilibhit. pic.twitter.com/4OHGCRXlgr

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 3, 2025