20 camera traps placed after woman’s death in suspected tiger attack in Nilgiris

The forest department has set up 20 camera traps around the site where a woman was attacked and killed by a carnivore in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Monday (November 24, 2025).

The 70-year-old victim B. Nagi from Mavanallah was herding goats near the Mavanallah River when she was attacked, forest department officials said. Preliminary investigations have led them to believe that the attack could have been accidental. “We believe the victim had been crouching near the stream, where the animal was hiding within a bamboo thicket when she was attacked. The animal could have been stalking the goats and could have mistaken the victim for livestock as she was crouching,” said a forest department official investigating the incident.

The forest department has also lifted hair samples from the scene of the attack to verify the animal that attacked the victim was a tiger, and not another carnivore such as a leopard. Meanwhile, thermal drones have also been deployed to track the movement of wildlife in the areas.

When contacted, M.G. Ganesan, Deputy Director of MTR, told The Hindu the forest department would check camera traps placed at the site of the incident on Tuesday (November 25, 2025) evening to identify the presence of any tigers and other carnivores. “Only after this is done, and once we check if the animal is in the forest department’s database, can we understand if the animal is aged or if its injured,” said Mr. Ganesan.

He added the forest department has also directed residents to not venture close to the boundaries of the forest areas and to not graze their livestock near forest boundaries for the next one month to avoid chances of any more negative encounters.