Visitors to Royal Chitwan National Park will have an even more memorable trip if they have guides like Deepak Adhikari and Meghnath Niraula. Dutch citizens Ralf Pan Lith and Van Pikin were lucky to have guides who not only saved their lives, but also offered a rare sight of a man and beast wrestling it out. The guides spotted a tiger cub, but as they were trying to get closer the mother sprang out of the underbrush. Both the guides tried to beat away the tigress with their sticks, the big cat became fiercer and at one point had Meghnath's arm in her jaw. "She was very aggressive and pounced on whoever was closer," they recall. The hand-to-mouth combat lasted a few minutes until the tiger had enough and ran off with her cub. Meghnath and Deepak took turns tackling the animal while the tourists ran to a safer distance. "We hit her on her nose and head till she retreated," they said. Said Pikin and Lith later: "Nepali guides are not only loyal but also brave."