M. Balakrishnan (58), the deceased man
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A 58-year-old man is believed to have been killed and eaten by a carnivore, most likely a tiger in O’Valley forest range in Gudalur in The Nilgiris on late Saturday (August 8, 2026) night. Following the discovery of his remains on Sunday, local residents staged a protest and refused to allow the forest department to retrieve his remains for post-mortem.
The deceased was identified as M. Balakrishnan, a resident living near the Manjushree Estate in O’Valley, Gudalur. According to the forest department, Balakrishnan was reported missing after he left to work on his farm on Saturday evening. After receiving word about his disappearance, forest department staff rushed to the area and launched a search.
On Sunday, Balakrishnan’s remains were discovered in a field nearby, with most of his body already consumed by a wild animal. Angry residents staged a protest in the area on Sunday morning, demanding that the animal responsible for the attack be captured. They refused to let the forest department retrieve Mr. Balakrishnan’s remains for post-mortem.
Interim compensation, deployment of drones
After lengthy discussions and assurances of action, his remains were taken for autopsy. The forest department said that they had handed over interim compensation to the next of his kin and would expedite the release of the full compensation amount to his family.
The forest department also stated that they have increased the presence of Rapid Response Team (RRT) personnel, have placed camera traps and are using drones to identify the animal responsible for the attack.
Forest department staff use a drone on August 9, 2026 to look for the carnivore that killed a man in Gudalur the previous day
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Officials said they would be able to ascertain if the attack was accidental only after identifying the carnivore responsible for the attack. Conservationists stated that the O’Valley region has become one of the most prone areas for negative human-animal interactions in The Nilgiris due to the interface between human communities and wildlife. Over the last few years, negative interactions between people and wildlife, especially elephants have become most acute in the region.
The region is home to repatriate tea estate workers as well as more recent settlers who are vying for space with wildlife utilising the heavily-wooded region to cross between oases of habitats which have become increasingly fragmented over the decades, increasing the chances of negative interactions.
Published – August 09, 2026 05:37 pm IST
