An elderly woman suffered serious injuries after she was attacked by a leopard when she tried to stop the animal from preying on her pet dog in the village of Kil Thalaiyattu Mund in the Udhagai North Range on Sunday (June 7, 2026).

The victim of the attack was identified as R. Visalakshmi. She and her pet dog were reportedly sleeping inside her house when a leopard was drawn into her residence to prey on her dog. However, Visalakshi noticed the animal and is said to have stepped in between the leopard and her dog before raising an alarm alerting neighbours. The panicked leopard is said to have attacked Visalakshmi and to have caused her serious injuries.

Forest department officials said that neighbours rushed to her aid and rescued her. The leopard fled the area. Ms. Visalakshmi is currently undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Udhagamandalam.

Forest department officials confirmed that her dog escaped without serious injuries. They said that they would step up surveillance around the area for the coming days to prevent more negative human-animal interactions.