Tragic Leopard Attack Claims 5-Year-Old Boy's Life in Tamil Nadu: Third Child Fatality in Valparai Region

A five-year-old boy was fatally attacked by a leopard in Valparai, Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district on Saturday, marking the third such deadly incident involving children in the region within eight months.

The victim, identified as Saiful, was the child of a migrant worker from Assam employed at a local tea estate. According to officials from both the Police and Forest Departments, the boy was playing outside the labor quarters at Ayyarpadi when a leopard suddenly emerged from nearby tea bushes, seized him, and vanished into the plantation.

Following extensive searches by estate workers and forest personnel, Saiful's body was discovered deep within the plantation, showing evident signs of a leopard attack.

This tragic incident follows two similar fatalities in the same area. On August 11, 2025, eight-year-old Noorjil Haq, whose father was also from Assam, was killed by a leopard at Waverly Estate in Kavarakallu, approximately 30 km from the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The child had been playing near his residence when a leopard dragged him into the dense tea plantation. His partially consumed body was later recovered with severe injuries.

Earlier, on June 22, 2025, four-year-old Roshini, daughter of migrant laborers from Jharkhand, was attacked and carried away by a leopard at Pachamalai near Valparai. Despite immediate search operations, her remains were only located the following morning after the Forest Department deployed additional search teams.

These recurring attacks have generated considerable fear among plantation communities in Valparai, particularly among migrant workers residing in proximity to forested areas. Local residents point to fragmented areas of dense vegetation, inadequate lighting, and insufficient protective fencing around estate housing as factors making children especially vulnerable.

In response, forest officials have enhanced patrolling activities and installed more camera traps throughout the region. They have advised residents to keep children indoors after sunset and to promptly report any leopard sightings.

With this latest tragedy, there are increasing demands for comprehensive, long-term wildlife conflict mitigation strategies in the Valparai region.