A 74-year-old woman was found dead in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Thursday evening.
The victim was identified as B. Sarasammal, a resident of Anaikatty in Masinagudi. She had ventured into the forest to collect firewood and did not return. Local residents found her dead and informed the Forest Department.
P. Arunkumar, Deputy Director of MTR (Buffer Zone), said that the victim had no external injuries, except a wound on the leg. The Masinagudi police were informed of the incident. They recovered the body and sent it for postmortem. “We are awaiting the postmortem results to confirm whether Ms. Sarasammal died during a problematic interaction with a wild animal,” said Mr. Arunkumar.