COIMBATORE: An eight-year-old son of migrant labourers from Assam was killed in a sloth bear attack at Waverly Estate near Valparai in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Monday evening. This is the second death of a child due to animal-human conflict in the reserve in the last two months.
The victim has been identified as S Noor Islam. According to forest sources, the boy, studying in Class 3, was staying with his relatives at a labour quarters in Waverly Estate as his parents were in Assam. On Monday, at 5.30pm, one of the relatives sent him to buy milk at a grocery shop located around 200 metres from the residential quarters.
As the child did not return even after 45 minutes, the relatives informed the estate authorities and neighbours, who launched a search. Subsequently, his body was found 500 metres away from the quarters inside the bushes.
Nail marks on boy’s body found to be that of sloth bear, not leopard
The body of the child had scratch marks all over the face, sources said. Initially, news spread that the boy was killed by a leopard. However, after checking the body of the boy, the nail marks on the body and on the face of the boy were found to be those of a sloth bear, sources said.
A senior forest department official told the TNIE that they have recently convened a meeting with all stakeholders, including authorities of the Waverly Estate, in the presence of the district collector to mitigate human-animal conflict.
“We have already informed the estate authorities to clear the bushes and arrange toilet facilities during the recent meeting convened to prevent animal attacks.
The meeting was held in the presence of the district collector soon after the death of four-year-old M Roshini Kumari of Jharkhand, who was killed by a leopard at Pachamalai estate on June 21,” official said.
The body was taken to Valparai Hospital.