Three women farm workers injured in sloth bear attack near Puliyangudi in T.N.; residents stage protest

Three farm workers, all women, were injured — one of them seriously — in a sloth bear attack at a farm near the Western Ghats, west of Puliyangudi, in Tenkasi district on Thursday (August 7, 2025) morning.

When the group of women were at work in the farm of Esakkiraj, of Puliyangudi, near the foothills of the Western Ghats, at around 9 a.m. on Thursday, a sloth bear, which had entered the farm, reportedly attacked them. While Ramalakshmi, 42, and Palaniammal, 43, sustained injuries, Seihu Ammal, 48, was grievously injured.

The women were rescued from the wild animal only after labourers from other parts of the farm, on hearing their screams, charged towards the sloth bear with clubs and stones. While Ms. Ramalakshmi and Ms. Palaniammal were admitted to Puliyangudi Government Hospital, Ms. Seihu Ammal was referred to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, after being administered first aid at Puliyangudi. The latter’s condition is said to be critical.

Condemning the Forest department’s ‘inaction’ to check the invasion of wild animals into farms and their attack on workers, farmers and residents blocked vehicular traffic along the busy Tenkasi-Madurai highway for nearly an hour on Thursday.

“Farmers cultivate coconut, banana, lemon, and vegetables in this region. The invasion of wild animals, especially wild boars, sloth bear, and Indian Gaur, into the farms close to the Western Ghats has become more frequent. Wild boar attacks have, in fact, become a routine affair. Besides suffering crop loss due to crop-raiding wild animals, the farmers and farm workers also suffer serious injuries. The government should install solar electric fence to check the invasion of wild animals and to avert man-animal conflicts,” said Thiruneelam, a farmer from Puliyangudi.

After the Police and Revenue department officials pacified the protesters, they agreed to disperse.