NILGIRIS: A gaur killed a 45-year-old woman at Kodhumudi village near Ebbanadu, about 20 kilometres from Ooty, on Saturday morning.
The incident happened when the deceased, V Malarkodi, went to a public toilet located half a kilometer from her house at 7am.
The guar allegedly stabbed her using its horn and killed her on the spot.
Hearing her screams, locals arrived and chased away the animal and informed the Nilgiris forest division officials, who in turn visited the spot and took her body to the Udhagamandalam government hospital.
Malarkodi's body was handed over to her husband after postmortem.
The department officials handed over Rs 50,000 to her husband Vivekanandan as the initial government compensation, and the rest Rs 9.50 lakh would be given after obtaining the death certificate and legal heir certificate.
Locals knew about the movements of the gaur in the are. It is suspected Malarkodi didn't notice its presence due to bushes.
"The animal, which was also in shock, killed the woman. We have advised the people to avoid approaching the pathway and wherever the animals are roaming. This incident occurred far away from the forest. We have advised the locals to be cautious," said a forest department official.
Locals meanwhile rued a human life was lost due to a lack of basic facilities.
"There are no proper toilets near our houses. She went to relieve herself when she came under attack. It is an alarm call for the forest department. It should act immediately and stop such incidents in the future," a resident said.