A 50-year-old Adivasi man was found dead with most of his body consumed by a carnivore in Kotagiri on Monday evening.
The deceased was identified as Vellingiri, a native of Konavakarai village, who resided in Araven. He was reported missing since Thursday, prompting his family to launch a search for him in the area. On Monday, they discovered pieces of his clothes in a tea estate between Aravenu and Catherine Falls and informed the police and the forest department.
Teams from both departments launched a search and on Monday evening found his remains with pug markings, believed to belong to a leopard that was also found nearby.
When contacted, Divisional Forest Officer (Nilgiris), S. Gowtham, told The Hindu that investigations into the incident were on. He said that while the animal had eaten parts of Vellingiri’s body, there was a chance that it could have taken refuge on his remains as well. “We need to carry out further forensic analysis using his clothing and other clues from the scene. We are also analyzing CCTV footage from the area to see if there are any other clues that point to the events that led to his death,” Mr Gowtham said.
The Forest Department has also placed camera traps in the area, which take pictures of the animal in the vicinity.
Published – 02 February 2026 21:00 IST