Car Driver’s Timely Alert Saves Biker as Tigress Chhoti Madhu Crosses Road with Cubs
A motorcyclist narrowly escaped a dangerous encounter with a tigress and her three cubs near the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve after a car driver alerted him in time by flashing the vehicle’s headlights. The incident took place around 7.03 pm on the Padmapur-Moharli road near Bhamdeli village in Chandrapur district and has since drawn attention to the importance of cautious driving near forest areas.
According to eyewitnesses, a visitor and his family were returning towards Padmapur when they spotted the well-known tigress Chhoti Madhu emerging from dense roadside vegetation with her three young cubs. Moments later, they noticed a motorcyclist approaching from the opposite direction, apparently unaware that the animals were about to cross the road.
Realising that the biker could unknowingly come face-to-face with a mother tigress protecting her cubs, the car driver repeatedly flashed the vehicle’s high beams. The warning prompted the rider to stop several metres before reaching the crossing point.
With traffic halted from both directions, Chhoti Madhu calmly led her cubs across the road before disappearing into the forest. No one was injured, and both the animals and motorists continued safely after the crossing was complete.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, with many praising the driver’s quick thinking. Wildlife enthusiasts said the situation could have turned dangerous had the biker ridden into the tigress’s path while she was escorting her cubs, as mother tigers are known to react aggressively if they perceive a threat.
Biker has a close call!
— PuneNow (@itspunenow) August 2, 2026
A tigress named Chhoti Madhu along with her two cubs was crossing the Padmapur-Moharli road near Bhamdeli village in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district.
At the same time, a visitor and his family were traveling on the road in their car… pic.twitter.com/zhNRbRqI6k
The incident has also renewed calls for motorists to drive carefully on roads passing through or along the buffer zones of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Forest officials and wildlife experts have repeatedly advised visitors to maintain low speeds, particularly during dawn and dusk when animal movement is more frequent.
They also urge motorists to alert other road users if wildlife is spotted, avoid unnecessary honking or revving engines, and remain inside their vehicles if they encounter large animals on forest roads.
Chhoti Madhu is among the most recognised tigresses in Tadoba and is closely monitored by wildlife authorities. The safe movement of breeding tigresses and their cubs is considered vital for sustaining the reserve’s healthy tiger population, one of the highest in central India.
Jayant Mahajan is a writer and contributor at PuneNow, covering the intersection of technology, climate action, and urban governance across Pune. With an extensive background in business management, digital transformation, and academia, Jayant brings real-world insight to local sustainability issues, from civic infrastructure to smart city data ethics. As an educator and founder of the Change Before Climate Change mission, he focuses on how Pune’s institutions and businesses can build future-ready, sustainable systems. Through his columns, Jayant bridges policy, technology, and practical action to help Punekars navigate a rapidly changing urban climate.
