COIMBATORE: A 76-year-old woman was found dead and partially consumed, allegedly by a leopard, near her residence at Sholayar Nagar in the Sholayar Dam area near Valparai on Sunday morning.
The deceased, identified as A Innasiammal, had limited mobility due to her advanced age and was known to walk slowly with a hunched posture.
According to sources, she had been living alone. After her relatives reported her missing, staff from the Manombolly forest range launched a search operation on Saturday night. Her body was discovered around 6.45 am on Sunday in a low-lying area about 100 metres from her residence, in a partially eaten condition, allegedly by an unidentified carnivorous animal.
A forest official from the range said, “Following a thorough inspection of the area where the body was found, no signs of dragging or clear evidence of a wild animal attack were noticed. We are yet to ascertain which animal fed on the body, and further investigation is underway.”
Following the incident, forest department officials advised residents, especially children and the elderly, to remain cautious and avoid venturing out during the night and early morning hours to prevent human-wildlife conflict.
Officials have also decided to install four camera traps in the area to monitor animal movement.
“The spot is located on the right side of the Sholayar Dam. Although her age is recorded as 76 in her Aadhaar card, her actual age could be over 85. She also had poor vision and hearing. We suspect that she may have collapsed while stepping out of her house at night and was later attacked and consumed by a carnivore,” a forest department official added.
Sources in the department said that saliva samples collected from the body will be sent to the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in Chennai to identify the animal involved.