A 52-year-old man suffered severe injuries after being mauled by a sloth bear in a tea estate near Valparai, within the jurisdictions of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, late on Tuesday.
According to the Forest Department, R. Moses, who works as a supervisor of a private estate at Pachamalai, was injured in the incident.
A statement from the Department said that Mr. Moses, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, had a close encounter with a sloth bear while walking near a stream inside a tea estate at Upper Paralai around 7.45 p.m. The bear mauled him and he suffered severe injuries on his left eye and head.
A Forest Department team from the Valparai range rushed to the spot, after being alerted about the incident. The staff rescued the injured man and admitted him to the Government Hospital at Valparai. He was later referred to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for further treatment.
As per an advisory issued by the Department, tea and coffee estates in the Valparai region witness frequent movement of wild animals like elephant, leopard, sloth bear and gaur.
These animals roam near streams and estate areas for food and water, especially during evening and night hours. The Department appealed to the public, estate workers and estate management to follow safety measures to avoid close encounters with such animals.
People have been advised to avoid walking in estate areas, stream banks, and forest peripheries during evening and night hours.
The public have been asked to refrain from entering estate areas under the influence of alcohol, sitting or staying in isolated or bushy areas, venturing out during night hours unnecessarily and disturbing wild animals or attempting to photograph them from unsafe distance.
Published – October 07, 2026 07:33 pm IST
