NILGIRIS: A 63-year-old man died in a suspected tiger attack in O’Valley near Gudalur district in Nilgiris on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Balakrishnan, had gone missing on Saturday night. His body was found near a tea estate, in O’Valley Town Panchayat the following morning by the locals after his relatives launched a search.
Reportedly, the body was partially eaten by a tiger.
Following the incident, residents staged a road blockade, demanding that the Gudalur forest division take immediate measures to prevent future human-animal conflict in the area.
While the protesters were demanding compensation for the victim’s family, the Police and Forest Department officials were trying to allay them.
R Ranjith, coordinator of O' Valley Makkal Iyakkam, said, “The Forest Department should closely monitor the big cat and take concrete steps to prevent another such incident. There is a high likelihood that the tiger could become a man-eater.”
