A cattle herder in western India survived a prolonged attack by a lioness by stroking the animal to calm it down, in a dramatic incident captured on video. The footage, which shows the bloodied man pinned beneath the big cat as onlookers looked on helplessly, has drawn attention as a striking example of a human surviving a sustained encounter with a wild predator.

The attack took place on 6 July in Garajiya village, in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. The lioness pounced on Kalubhai Boghabhai Gamara as he went to feed his cattle, knocking him to the ground and clawing at his leg. Bystanders threw stones and shouted in an effort to scare the animal away but did not dare approach, and the man was reportedly trapped for nearly 30 minutes. After he petted the lioness, it eventually retreated towards nearby forest of its own accord. He was taken to hospital in Palitana with serious injuries to several parts of his body, and his treatment is ongoing.