Tiger Braves Strong River Currents, Swims Safely To The Shore [Video]

A tiger, which was caught on video struggling to swim across a swollen river in India, reportedly survived the forceful currents, and managed to reach the shore.

The animal was seen making great efforts to stay afloat as the strong waves tried to sweep it underwater.

The video was shared on Twitter by the Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey on Friday. The tiger was seen crossing the Gerua River in the Bahraich district of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh when the rough waters created an intense pull.

The tiger had apparently showed up from the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, which sat on the banks of the Gerua River, according to Weather.com.

The video showed the big cat struggling to stay adrift as waves splash onto it, trying to pull it further inward. As per the post's description, the tiger was swept up to the nearby Girijapuri barrage, where it clung to hope and didn't stop fighting for dear life.

The forest department officials reportedly closed the gates of Girijapuri barrage in Bahraich to prevent the tiger from being swept away further, the Hindustan Times reported.

In a follow-up tweet, Pandey said the tiger safely made it back to the shore.

"However, the tiger being a powerful and great swimmer could cross the river against the current, and reach in jungles of Katerniaghat, part of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve," the video's description read.

The big cat then headed toward the nearby woods and a rescue team followed it just to ensure it was safe, a third tweet by Pandey said.

"The team lead by Akash Deep Bhadhawan monitored the safe passage to tiger and other wildlife during high flood times in Katerniaghat. Monsoon in Terai is a tough time for protection and patrolling," the third tweet read.

Social media users were relieved the tiger returned to its habitat, and lauded the rescue team for ensuring its safety.

"Relieved to see the tiger swim back to safety," one user wrote in the comment. "Happy! Tiger is alive," wrote another.

Tigers are known to be the most skilled swimmers in the big cat family, and reportedly have a natural instinct to go into the waters at a very young age. The predators largely use their swimming skills for a number of purposes, including hunting and expanding their territories.