KATHMANDU, Nepal — A Dutch tourist who survived a tiger attack in the jungles of southwestern Nepal over the weekend by climbing a tree said today that he’s lucky to be alive and will now have a story to tell when he returns home.

Gerard Van Laar said he was attacked by the tiger when he and his Nepalese guide were hiking in Bardia National Park on Saturday.

“I was super lucky to be alive. I would have been dead if it had not been for Krishna (the guide),” Laar said by phone from Bardia, about 250 miles southwest of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

“All of a sudden, I heard a roar and a growl, and the tiger was heading toward us at full speed,” said Laar, who has been traveling in Nepal since last month.

He was able to escape by climbing a tree, but his guide was attacked and slightly injured as he ran away to draw the attention of the tiger.

The tiger returned and circled the tree while Laar tried to stay as quiet as possible about 20 feet above the ground. About two hours later, the guide arrived back with help and they shouted and used sticks to drive away the tiger.

The guide was hospitalized for a day, but Laar was not hurt.