Woman Killed and Eaten by Unidentified Animal in Nilgiris Forest

A 56-year-old woman, identified as R. Parvathi, was reportedly killed and partially eaten by an unidentified animal in the Pykara Forest Range of the Nilgiris district, India. Although the incident is believed to have occurred on April 11, 2026, her remains were only discovered on April 15 after residents noticed signs of an attack in a tea estate. Parvathi had gone missing after leaving her home on April 11, but forest officials were not informed until Tuesday. Joint teams from the Forest Department and the Naxal Special Division police located her remains approximately 2 kilometers from the initial attack site. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. To identify the predator, authorities have collected hair samples from the scene and installed camera traps in the area. Officials noted there were no prior complaints of predators attacking cattle in this specific location. This tragedy marks the ninth human fatality resulting from negative human-predator interactions in the Nilgiris district since 2020, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in regions like Mudumalai and Gudalur.