Mahalakshmi, 40, an estate worker at Pattavayal, under the Gudalur Forest division in Tamil Nadu, nearly 2 km from Noolpuzha, was killed reportedly in a tiger attack on Saturday.
A farmer was killed and devoured by a tiger at Puthurkolly, near Noolpuzha, four days ago.
An irate mob blocked vehicular traffic on the Sulthan Bathery-Ooty interstate highway on Saturday in protest against the alleged laxity of the Forest Department in ensuring protection to the life and property of the villagers.
Later in the day, the animal attacked a youth when Forest Department personnel tried to fire a tranquiliser dart at it. The youth was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
Though four days had passed after the first kill, the Forest Department had taken no steps to trap the animal, the protesters said. They said the animal was a man-eater and it should be killed.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) G. Harikumar directed the department to cull the animal if it was not possible to catch it alive, as per the protocol of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
Mr. Harikumar told The Hindu that he had directed the Conservator of Forests, Palakkad, to hold discussions his counterparts in Tamil Nadu in this regard.
The department had set traps and installed 11 cameras in different parts of Noolpuzha.
The animal could have moved to neighbouring forests as the cameras had caught no images, sources said.
