A five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in a tea estate at Valparai in Coimbatore district on Friday evening, prompting the Tamil Nadu Government to form a six-member committee to strengthen long-term human-wildlife conflict prevention measures in the region.The incident occurred when the child, identified as Saiful Alam, was playing outside his house at the Iyerpadi Tea Estate. Forest officials rushed to the spot and recovered the body from nearby tea bushes. The government has extended support to the bereaved family and reiterated ongoing awareness programmes for estate workers.
To prevent future incidents, the committee, led by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Rama Subramanian, will assess ground conditions in Valparai and submit its recommendations within two weeks. Estate authorities have also been instructed to improve lighting, clear vegetation around houses and strengthen evening surveillance.